Weathering the Storm
by batistaangel15
Summary: They finally accepted themselves as a couple and almost lost everything at Canary Wharf. Now the Doctor and Rose continue their promise of forever as they embark on new adventures, and the pressures of their relationship, while meeting new people; friends and enemies alike. Will the world succeed in splitting them apart? **S3 rewrite, 2nd in the Stars Aligned series** COMPLETE
1. After the Storm

**A/N: Hello again ;) I know there's a lot of rewrites of season 3 but I wanted to try my hand at it. This follows after _An Unexpected Christmas Miracle_ and is post Doomsday (obviously.) If you haven't already I'd recommend reading that first to have a clearer picture of the Doctor and Rose's relationship, though this could be read as a standalone story. Some time in the future I might do the Doomsday rewrite, I dunno. We'll see.**

**If something seems similar to another retelling of series 3 I assure you it wasn't intentional. I'm avoiding those stories so that I don't get ideas from their work and I can come up with my own. Plagiarism is never okay, people!**

**Important note: This story is rated T, however chapters 45 &amp; 67 have full M rated links that divert from this site if anyone prefers that type of content. Just a notice.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of its characters. All rights to the owners, writers and the BBC. If I owned DW, I most likely would have been the person constantly stalking David Tennant on set (no shame) xD And I apologize for any mistakes. ;P**

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_**Chapter 1: After the Storm **_

Rose lay in her bed—well technically it was the Doctor's bed which then turned into their bed—curled up in a fetal position with her face buried in a pillow held close against her chest, her eyes red and swollen from all of the crying she had done. She wished that everything was a dream, that this was all just a continuous and realistic nightmare that refused to fade. Like the others she's had over the years since she began travelling.

But it wasn't, it was all true.

Prior to the events that recently happened she and the Doctor had spent a week hovering in the vortex and hadn't been on a real adventure that included danger when they stepped a foot outside of the TARDIS during that period of time. Just light travels, that was all. Harmless traveling, like always. They never were looking for trouble when they explored, only did it for fun, for the thrill and exhilaration of finding new worlds.

After the Doctor took Rose to planet Noel, better known as the Christmas planet due to the fact that it's entirely dedicated to the Earth holiday, they had remained in the TARDIS to celebrate more of the holiday. That, and the fact that they had finally confessed to each other their feelings and took a giant step—no, more like a giant leap—into their relationship and spent the time occupying each other. Now that they had the right to without fears of shattering the first few boundaries of their friendship and making things seem awkward, it was hard to resist. It was overwhelming.

Of course neither one of them were being forced or pushed into doing certain things with each other, it was always mutually understood. They never took things further than kissing but whenever they were both on the same page it was amazing. No, more than amazing—utterly and undeniably incredible. No, that wasn't the right word either. Fairly there was no words to describe their relationship right now. Basically it was like living in a dream, a real life fantasy come true. A miracle that they came to this point given that they both held in everything until the surprise trip to Noel.

Everything was perfect, no worries of any kind, just…fantastical serenity.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Three weeks ago_

_"Alright, what d'you say we give the Old Girl a spin, eh? Where should we go?" The Doctor clapped his hands together as he circled the console with his usual bounce._

_Rose sat on the jump seat, her hands gripping the edge and legs swaying in the air above the floor grating as he stood in front of her, his back to her as he started to press random controls. "I dunno," she replied._

_He kept his attention on whatever he was doing on the console. He was probably just buying time since he didn't know where they should go to next._

_"C'mon Rose, think of somewhere. Anywhere, anywhen. Forwards, backwards, sideways—" He cut himself off. "No, scratch that, no sideways. That's impossible. Well…" he drawled as he resumed pressing random controls._

_She shrugged her shoulders. "Doctor, I really don't know where to go. It's your ship, you decide."_

_A frown crossed his face as he turned to face her, one hand stilled on some kind of button. "Rose, you know very well that the TARDIS is your home too, meaning you have just as much say as I have." He tilted his head. "Maybe **more** even. No doubt She listens to you more than me, and She's been with me for centuries."_

_The TARDIS responded with a playful hum as the Doctor critically looked up at the ceiling before turning back to the console and Rose giggled. That was probably true. Lots of time the TARDIS seems to be on her side, leaving the Doctor to be ganged up by the two girls who meant everything to him._

_"Okay then, you promised a visit to Mum after Noel."_

_The Doctor stilled his hands on the console. "Oh. I did, didn't I?"_

_"Yes, Doctor, you did. Remember? We agreed that after Noel we'd go see Mum for Christmas but we didn't get a chance to do that so we agreed to visit after going to New York on New Year's Eve. You even swore to it. Twice."_

_Oh, she must have been setting him up for that. The Doctor let out an exaggerated sigh and mumbled. "Oh, why did I have to swear to that? What was I thinking?"_

_Rose overheard him and threw him a teasing smile. "You really have no idea what you were thinking about at the time?"_

_He chuckled. Did she even have to ask? Of course it was obviously a rhetorical question, one she was joking around with. He knew very well what was on his mind at the time. To be honest he hadn't stopped thinking about it since then. In fact…_

_"Oh, I have a very good idea of what was going on in my head."_

_He sat down on the jump seat beside her, a smile tugging at his lips. He placed a hand on the side of her face, softly brushing his thumb over her cheekbone before moving it behind her head, bringing her close until their lips met. She let out a chuckle as she mirrored his position and rubbed his sideburn. His other hand came up to tilt her head at a different angle to deepen the kiss, which she happily allowed with a low moan._

_Rose was lucky she was seated on the jump seat because the Doctor knew just how to make her knees buckle. It was so easy to get lost in the moment with him, hence the fact that they have been couped up in the TARDIS for a couple days enjoying themselves. All of the holding back of their true feelings for each other and the constant angst of it all was going out in full force whenever they initiated this and neither one regretted it._

_However right now she knew exactly what the Doctor's intentions were: he was trying to divert her attention off of the topic by snogging her senseless. She made a small hum of protest as she put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away lightly. It wasn't working like she had hoped but managed to get a few words out in between kisses._

_"Doctor…you can't…just change…the subject…"_

_He grinned mischievously against her lips before silencing her protests by plunging his tongue deeper in her mouth. The moan that escaped from her was music to his ears and drove him over the edge even more. He pulled away when they were breathless and peppered her jaw with softer kisses before whispering in her ear._

_"Really? It's a gift with this gob. Gets myself out of trouble, gets myself into trouble as well, not always…"_

_He snickered as he descended down her neck with open mouthed kisses, her nails buried in his hair and scratching his scalp. Unaware they both pulled their legs up and under them on the jump seat at one point, giving each other more room and easier access. She didn't want to end it so soon, but if they kept this up her mum would have to be waiting an extremely long time for them to visit her again. It was still surprising to Rose to see such a loving side of the Doctor, and he probably felt the same about her. What else could be expected from them after bottling everything up and finally releasing it._

_Finding a bit more strength this time around Rose pushed on his chest again and this time he backed away. "As much as I would love to continue this, you made a promise, Doctor."_

_The Doctor closed his eyes and grumbled, exaggerating pain in his expression. "Roooose, we've done enough Christmas celebrating that's worth at least three Christmases, including New Year's. I don't think I have any strength in me to handle your mother right now. Especially now that we're…ehm…" he gestured between them with his eyebrows and hands._

_"You know we'll have to tell her about us soon, right?"_

_"Yes, soon," he stressed slowly. "Not now. I'm not looking forward to having another slap from one Jackie Tyler at the moment."_

_"Doctor, Mum won't slap you." Hopefully. "She's always had suspicions about us being together anyways so it might come to a relief to her knowing that she was right."_

_The Doctor shook his head. "And then she'll start interrogating me. Not looking forward to that either," he grumbled._

_Rose ran her hand down his arm comfortingly. "She knows how important you are to me and how I feel about you already. Once she sees that we've finally confessed it to each other she'll be happy for us. Don't you want her approval?" His eyebrows lifted to his hairline and he grimaced. "You know what I mean, don't look at me like that."_

_"Rose, she once assumed that because I'm an alien that I have tentacles," he squeaked in protest. "**Tentacles**, Rose! Where could I have tentacles?! And…why?! What do you think she'll say when we tell her about us? She'll think that whenever we kiss I'm using my— " He put the backs of his hands over his mouth and extended his fingers, wiggling them at her for emphasis. "—tentacle tongues."_

_Rose couldn't help but laugh out loud. That did sound like something her mother would say. "Don't worry, Doctor. That's all we've done so she shouldn't mind."_

_He grumbled something indistinct and let out a sigh. "Alright fine." He stood from the jump seat and leaned back on the console. "But don't be surprised if I regenerate on the spot if she does slap me."_

_Rose smiled as she stood after him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. That wasn't so hard now, was it?"_

_The Doctor stroked her back and snorted. "Oh, you have no idea." Pulling back a fraction, he added. "I was going to take you to other New Year's celebrations—"_

_"Ain't you all festive," she giggled._

_He sniffed. "Well, it's like I said. We can start a new tradition. You know, new beginnings and all that."_

_Rose stroked his arm and smiled sweetly. "Don't you mean new new beginnings?"_

_That happy noise came from his throat as he ducked down to capture her lips again and Rose met him halfway. Pulling away the Doctor groaned. "Rose, can we just skip right over to New Year's again? Your mother won't even know."_

_"Doctor, she's waited long enough don't you think?"_

_"She's waited long before, and she's doing a fantastic job at it. This is a time machine, you know. Now you on the other hand," he added, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You, Rose Tyler, don't even call your mum, so what difference does that make?"_

_She swatted his finger away. "Would you prefer that I call her every day, then?"_

_He tilted his head. "Well…"_

_"Then there's nothing wrong with a visit. Besides you brought it up before Noel," she reminded him_

_"Well I offered you an alternative in case you wanted to see her first," he replied, before adding softly. "I know how much you miss your mother at times, I get that. It's just that…" he shook his head, trying to make out his sentence. "Everything that I planned for the trip and hoped would happen actually did. All of the time we've spent together over the last few days were all I could want. I felt alive, fully alive and…young, like ninety years old again."_

_Rose chuckled at him and reached for his hand. "It's all I've wanted too. These have been some of the greatest days I've had in a long time and I wouldn't trade them for anything."_

_She leaned up and pressed her forehead to his. No, she would never trade it away. While the Doctor had admitted that he was still scared of the whole thing he never regretted taking such a huge step with her and neither did she._

_Pulling back the Doctor placed a light kiss to her forehead. "But!" He suddenly exclaimed, startling Rose as he moved around her to stand in front of the screen to plug in coordinates. "Before we make a trip to London we're gonna make a quick stop at a bazaar."_

_"What for?"_

_"Just need to pick up some parts for the TARDIS. And I know a really nice one located on a specific asteroid."_

_"An asteroid bazaar?"_

_"Yep! Oh, it's amazing," he chirped._

_"You enjoy just about anything," she laughed._

_The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked as he pulled the lever._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

She couldn't help but smile inwardly at the pleasant flashback. Nothing was wrong in the world as it passed around them, not even a concern. They were trapped in the worriless, carefree bubble of their own joyous lives without any fears or madness. Time ultimately stopped whenever they shared such newfound moments of tenderness and love. Originally the Doctor had promised Rose that he would take them back to the Powell Estate to visit her mum right after leaving Noel. While he later protested that they could go back at any time when they weren't busy with their new accepted relationship, he knew it was the least he could do for her since she missed her.

How much that was a huge understatement right now.

Instead one thing led to another and they both ended up resuming their activities with each other. The Doctor even took Rose to New York—the actual city on Earth and not New Earth—on New Year's Eve to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Not just any New Year's Eve, but rather the very first one to feature the ball in 1907. It was such a beautiful experience for both of them. He lectured her about the very first ball and what it was made of and other things about the tradition and history. Once everyone started the countdown to bring in the new year, the ball dropped at midnight and they shared a loving kiss before singing along to Auld Lang Syne. Before they left for London the Doctor took them to an asteroid bazaar where the Doctor acquired spare parts for the TARDIS and Rose picked up a souvenir for her mother that can predict the weather.

If only it could have predicted the storm that was fast approaching their wake.

They finally arrived to the Powell Estate and visited her mum and caught up with recent affairs. Rose found the courage and told her about the relationship she and the Doctor finally accepted with each other, and Jackie was…well, a lot of things. At first she was stunned and immediately started to question the Doctor, as he expected, wondering if he had touched her with any…alien bits (at least she hadn't mentioned anything about tentacle tongues). But the awkwardness passed and she, for the most part, was supportive. And then came in strange sightings of ghosts popping up all over the world and reality struck them.

It seemed that after saving her majesty Queen Victoria in 1879 from an alienated werewolf, she set up the Torchwood Institute to protect Britain from further alien threats—including the Doctor, putting him as public enemy number one despite the fact that he had saved the planet countless times. After discovering a rift in time and space the institute unbeknownst to themselves managed to poke at it in curiosity, ultimately forcing the walls between their universe and a parallel one to break down, and it was the same world where the TARDIS crash landed in and was being taken over by the Cybermen, and those were what the ghosts turned out to be. As if encountering those soulless drones again were bad enough an even greater enemy came through, and that was the bloody Daleks. Combining the two was an all out war for controlling humanity.

Luckily the Doctor came up with a plan to stop all of them as always with some help from the parallel Torchwood's team including Mickey, Jake, and the other version of Pete Tyler. The plan was to send every single enemy back into the Void, or better known as Hell, however everyone except her mum was in danger of being pulled into the dead space. Knowing this Pete sent her mum to the other universe where she would be safe. But when the Doctor had tried to send herself, she came back instantly. She made her choice a long time ago and wasn't going to leave him, not now, not ever. Especially after they both finally declared their love for each other and vowed to cherish all of the time they'd have together.

Of course nothing is ever simple with their lives and there had been a close call near the end.

The lever in front of Rose malfunctioned and started to close the walls too soon. She let go of her magnaclamp to pull it back into place, but it was challenging as the Void was pulling at her. Rose held on with all of her might but her fingers began to slip more and more until she couldn't maintain her grasp. The Void was pulling her in and all she could do was cry out. She remembered the fear on the Doctor's face as he screamed for her, still grasping his clamp when all he could do was watch in horror as he was unable to save her. And then she hit the wall with harsh force. She was so close to being separated from the Doctor forever. When the madness was over they held onto each other tightly for dear life, relieved that they had come so close losing each other.

But now Jackie was trapped on the other side of the Void in the parallel world, and far from her reach.

Rose closed her eyes and held back her tears. She had already cried enough in the last couple weeks and wasn't going to start up again. As she took a deep breath into her pillow a hand softly came to her arm, easing away some of her tension, followed by a soft and gentle voice.

"Rose?"

"It's okay, Doctor, I'm awake."

"I already knew you were, the TARDIS informed me," he responded. "I just wanted to check on you to see how you were doing."

She sniffed, trying to keep her voice steady. "'M fine."

She felt the mattress dip as the Doctor sat down behind her and rubbed small circles over her back. "The other reason, the more important reason—well, your feelings are important as well, not that I don't care about that, but this is a more—"

Rose chuckled. The slightest mannerisms he made always managed to be uplifting. "Spit it out, Doctor."

"I've finally found a gap to the parallel universe."

Rose opened her eyes and jerked up in bed. He was beaming at her, automatically causing her to do the same. "Really?"

He nodded once and tugged his earlobe. "It's very, very small, far too small for the TARDIS to travel through. But we can still get communication through for a few minutes." He held her hand in his and brushed his thumb over her knuckles, speaking softly. "I can't bring your mother back, but I can at least let you give her a proper goodbye."

Rose felt the tears well up in her eyes once more. The Doctor was working so hard to find some kind of way possible to somehow get to the parallel world via travel or contact, and he found it. For her. Whatever it was as long as she'll see her mother one more time she'd take the opportunity. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. He squeezed her hand.

"Thank you."

"Are you ready for this, Rose?"

She nodded. "Yeah," her voice sounded broken but it was all she had at the moment. "I need to see her one last time." Smiling sadly he enveloped her in a quick but comforting hug before helping her stand up and took her into the console room.

Once there the Doctor explained to her how this would work. Because the gap was so small and beginning to close, the best way to communicate through it was via an astral projection. A large amount of power was needed for this to happen so he set coordinates for the TARDIS to drift in space, orbiting a supernova. He told her to stand in a certain spot and close her eyes and whisper her mother's name to get her attention and come with its perimeters. Of course this would be a projection, meaning no physical contact was to be initiated or else both worlds would fall apart. Rose did as told and was soon met with a transparent projection of Jackie Tyler standing in front of them, Mickey and the other Pete in the far background standing by a black jeep.

"Mum!"

"Rose, sweetheart," Jackie moved closer to them. "Where are you?"

"Inside the TARDIS," Rose replied. "There's this tiny gap left just about to close. It takes a lot of power to do this. We're orbiting around a supernova." She glanced away to the Doctor who had a small smile on his face. She laughed softly once. "The Doctor is burning up a sun just so I can say goodbye."

"You look like a ghost," Jackie commented, her brows furrowed.

"Hold on," the Doctor's voice called out. He moved from behind Rose to stand next to her and pointed his sonic at something on the side, making Jackie look solid.

She stepped closer and raised a hand to touch Rose's cheek "Can I—"

"We're still just an image," the Doctor said regretfully. "No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?"

Rose lowered her head as she shook it slowly. The Doctor spoke for her. "The whole thing would fracture."

"The two universes would collapse," Rose added, lifting her head.

"So?" Jackie gave a soft laugh making Rose smile. She knew her mum was half joking but she was attempting to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry, Jackie," the Doctor said regrettably. "I can't allow that, even for Rose." The other woman sighed. "Where are we?" he asked, looking around. "Where did the gap come out?"

"Bloody Norway!" Jackie said with a hint of irritation.

The Doctor nodded. "Norway, well…"

"Do you know how long it took for us to drive up to here?" she replied incredulously. "Blimey, could've packed for a holiday!"

"Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything!" he squeaked.

"But you're doin' good, yeah?" Rose cut in.

"Yeah, we're okay. This place is a little weird, though. It's called Darlig Ulv Stranden."

Rose and the Doctor shared a glance at the name before simultaneously saying, "Dalek?"

"No, it's Dar-LIG," Jackie corrected the pronunciation. "Norwegian for 'bad.' Was told that it translates to 'Bad Wolf Bay.' What a name, eh?" Sharing another glance at each other, they couldn't resist smiling. Jackie might be confused by their amusement at the name but it was an inside joke for the both of them. "How long have we got?" she asked as they turned back to her.

Rose glanced at the Doctor again. "About two minutes," he said softly.

"Two minutes?!"

"I'm so sorry, Jackie," he said with a frown. "I'm truly very sorry."

Jackie shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "I don't know what I want to say!"

Rose pointed at the jeep in the background. "Still got Mickey hanging around I see, yeah? He'll be around all the time of you need him. And…Dad?" He may not be her real father but he was still Pete Tyler.

"There's five of us now," Jackie said. "Mickey let his gran move into the mansion with us for better convenience. Who'd've imagined that, huh? Me in a mansion! There's them…and the baby…"

Rose gasped and the Doctor's brows hit his hairline. "Oh, my God, Mum!"

Jackie smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. "Three months gone. Pete couldn't believe it either, he was so happy. He'd always wanted one of his own." Her eyes were downcast.

"How…how long have you been here?"

"Over four months," her mother replied sadly.

"I'm so happy for you," Rose said, not caring about the tears starting to streak her cheeks.

The Doctor scratched his neck, not wanting to dampen the moment of happiness between the two, but time was running out. "You're dead, officially, back home." He swallowed. "So many people died that day, and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead."

"What about Rose?"

The Doctor nodded as Rose spoke softly. "Our flat isn't a home anymore, Mum. Nothing there for me or anyone else now. We cleared it out. It's better that way."

Jackie nodded and started to cry now, making Rose bite her lip to hold back a sob. "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"You can't," the Doctor said softly.

"I love you, sweetheart, and please don't you ever forget that. This is the life you've chosen and wanted and I'm proud of you with every decision you make. You're a strong woman, Rose and forget what I told you about changing. This was your choice and I support you." Rose nodded, barely holding back her tears. Jackie turned to the Doctor. "And you keep her safe, Doctor. She chose your way of life, chose you, so you better make her worth it. Ever since you came into her life you've been nothing but trouble. But she cares about you. You're her world now, Doctor. You better keep her happy, or I promise you, I will find a way back to you and slap you silly!"

The Doctor's eyes widened at her threat. Oh, he never doubted her for one second. He kept her gaze and nodded. "I promise Jackie, I'll protect her with all my lives. I'll make sure of it."

"You better. She means more to me than anything, just as you both are to each other." She turned back to Rose. "I love you, sweetheart. Forget about what I said to you before. This is your life. You're a strong, grown woman, and I love you so much."

"I love you, Mum, I'm so sorry," Rose cried. "Tell Mickey, Pete, and the baby that I love them."

"I will." She placed both hands on her stomach and gently rubbed it. "This little one's gonna hear a whole lot about his big sister…and her skinny alien boyfriend."

Rose giggled. "Be happy, mum, I love you!"

With that, Jackie faded away from her spot. The sob Rose had been holding in finally forced out as the Doctor wrapped his arms around her soothingly rubbing her back as she buried her face in his chest, fisting his jacket once her tears began to flood his shirt. They stood in silence for a few short moments while the Doctor rocked her gently to stifle her shuddering breaths, the only sounds filling the room were Rose's muffled cries. Once she started to calm down, the Doctor rested his cheek on her head.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said quietly as he stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could give you more—"

"Don't blame yourself, you did everything you could."

"Did I really?" He sounded uncertain and remorseful. "You'll never see her again all because of me."

She raised her head to look at him and brought a hand up to his cheek. "Hey, don't you dare do this," she said sternly but calmly. "I chose this, Doctor, ya got that? I made a promise to never leave you and I intend to keep it. I know I'll miss Mum a lot but I don't know what I'd do if I had gotten trapped in that world without you."

He brought his hand to cradle hers and leaned into her touch. "I don't want to think about that," he said softly. "You're here with me and that's all I could want."

Rose paused for a moment to steady her breath again. "Thank you, Doctor."

He brushed away some of the tears threatening to fall down her face with his thumb and dropped a kiss to her hair, brushing it back before pressing a gentle one to her lips. Pulling back a fraction he searched her eyes and offered her a soft lopsided smile. One second he was staring into her eyes and then he lifted his head up like something else had caught his attention, his eyes widening and smile dropping to confusion.

"What?"

Rose turned in his arms to follow his gaze and gaped at what was in front of them. A woman dressed in a wedding gown stood on the other side of the console facing the TARDIS door. She turned around and saw them staring at her in disbelief and gasped.

"What?" Rose repeated the Doctor's words.

The woman eyed both of them up and down. "Who are you?"

The Doctor looked around the room and sputtered. "B-but…"

"Where am I?" The woman asked, rolling her eyes and sounding irritated.

Rose's mind couldn't form a thought. "What?"

The woman grew more annoyed and raised her voice. "What the hell is this place?!"

Rose turned to the Doctor who was just as much dumbstruck as her. "What?!"

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**Oh how I love Donna lol can't wait to bring her in :D hope this was a good start! It took me a few days to try to come up with a name for this story. O_O I know this story's gonna be stressful but I'll do my best to update this as fast as possible ;)**


	2. The Runaway Bride Part 1

**A/N: I meant to post this earlier but I was caught up in a LOTR marathon. Anyways, I love this episode, it's hilarious and fun xD Thanks to all who've reviewed, followed and faved so far! :D**

**On a side note, I'm excited that the second series of Broadchurch starts tonight! But there's a slight problem: it only applies for the UK and doesn't come on here in America until March D': I can't wait a whole other two months to watch it so I'm gonna search for it online hehe I love my precious Hardy, hopefully he'll be okay this series ^_^**

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_**Chapter 2: The Runaway Bride Part 1**_

The Doctor, still gobsmacked, looked around the console room with widened eyes, searching for some kind of explanation as to why and how a ginger woman in a wedding dress was standing in the TARDIS with them. Nothing came to him, so he glanced over at Rose. She was equally confused as she stared at him for an answer before turning back to face the woman, both trying to comprehend the situation and in result began talking over each other.

"You can't do that," he began, shaking his head. "I wasn't— "

"But we're in flight!" Rose cut in.

"—that-that is physically impossible!"

"Tell me where I am," the woman demanded. "I demand you tell me right now!"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor answered, staring at her for another moment before turning back to the console.

"The what?" the woman questioned.

"The TARDIS," Rose repeated, holding her hands up as she cautiously walked toward the angry ginger woman.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" the Doctor shouted this time, turning to the controls.

"The _what_?"

"This," Rose gestured around the room, "is called the 'TARDIS.'"

"That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things!"

"How did you get in here?" Rose asked softly, her brows still furrowed.

"Well, obviously, when you _kidnapped_ me! Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

Rose's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "_Kidnapped_ you?"

The Doctor turned away from the console briefly to stare at the woman yelling, still eyeing her with utter confusion as he stood behind Rose. "Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend," she spat at him.

Of course the Doctor missed the accusation of kidnapping. Rose held up her hands, still speaking calmly. "I swear to you, we didn't kidnap you and we don't know anybody named Nerys. You just…appeared."

"Hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor cut in and nodded at the woman. "What're you dressed like that for?"

Rose elbowed his side gently at his ridiculous question. Clearly he was extremely more disoriented at this situation than she thought.

"I'm going ten pin bowling," the woman answered sarcastically, before raising her voice again. "Why do you _think_, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as the woman kept raising his voice. He turned around again and fiddled with the controls as Rose followed him. The woman walked around towards them and Rose kept a cautious eye on her. What the hell was happening?

"I've been waiting all my life for this," the woman continued her rant. "I was just seconds away! And then you, I dunno, you drugged me or something!" she accused, gesturing wildly at them.

"We haven't done anything!" the Doctor defended, shaking his head.

"We're having the police on you both! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!"

"Won't really get much," Rose muttered under her breath.

If a lawsuit was what she would be aiming for they wouldn't really be getting a penny out of them. Especially not from the Doctor. He brushed off the woman's threat and focused on the task at hand to get her back to wherever she came from. Rose came to stand beside him, ignoring a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her.

"Doctor, do you know anything about this?" she asked quietly.

He snorted, still fiddling with controls. "Only that this is just physically impossible," he answered back. He muttered something else indistinct in his native language and shook his head. "I dunno."

"Apparently it _is_ possible since it happened. But no one should be able to just magically appear on board when we're in-flight."

"It shouldn't happen at all, Rose, it's wrong," He scratched his neck, eyes remained on the console. When he raised his head to face Rose the Doctor's attention went over her head. "No, wait a minute!" He shouted. The woman noticed the doors and was making a break for them. "Don't!" The Doctor ran around Rose to get to the woman but he was too late.

She already made it to the doors and threw them open wide and stopped dead in her tracks when she was met with the supernova they were still orbiting around. A quiet gasp escaped from her as she stood absolutely still at what lay beyond her. The Doctor walked down the ramp towards her with Rose right behind him. Catching up to the woman he stood next to her and Rose leaned against the door frame and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You're in space," the Doctor explained gently, bringing her close to his chest so she could she the outside with them. Rose rested her head over his left heart and placed a hand on his chest as she gazed out at the stars listening to the Doctor continue to talk. "Outer Space. And this is my…" he paused for a second, "spaceship. It's called the 'TARDIS.'"

The woman's mouth still hung agape. "How am I breathing?" She finally said.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose answered. "She's protecting us."

"'She?'"

Both the Doctor and Rose nodded at her. "All ships are 'She,'" he said.

"Who are you two?" the woman asked, sounding calm for the first time since her unexpected arrival.

"I'm Rose," she introduced herself before patting the Doctor's chest with her hand. "And this is the Doctor. And you are?"

"Donna."

"Human?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her up and down.

"Yeah. Is that optional?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, it is for me."

Donna took her eyes away from the supernova to look at them both. "You're aliens," she stated acceptingly.

"Well I am, Rose is human." He tilted his head again and drawled to himself, "Weeell," he rubbed Rose's shoulder and muttered quietly so only she could hear him. "She's far from an ordinary one in my books."

Rose smiled up at him before bringing her attention back to Donna, who was staring at them in their small embrace, letting everything sink in. "You must be freezing with these doors open."

Straightening up and releasing her arms from the Doctor, Rose reached out and quietly shut the doors as the Doctor dashed back to the console speaking a mile a minute—no, more like second.

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything! This-this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…" he went under the console and grabbed an ophthalmoscope, spinning around and using it look into Donna's eyes. Completely oblivious to her confusion, he continued to ramble rapidly in her face, "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the chronon shell. Maybe something macro-mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—"

_Whack._

Donna cut him off suddenly by slapping his cheek hard, causing him to stumble back a bit. Rose couldn't help but suppress a laugh by shielding her smile behind her hand. As much as she should probably feel more sorry for him, he had it coming for talking Donna's ears off, to be honest.

"What was that for?" he questioned indignantly.

"GET ME TO THE CHURCH!" Donna shouted, now appearing angrier and more impatient with each second that goes by.

The Doctor threw his instrument by the console as he turned back to it. "Right! Fine! We don't want you here anyway!"

"Where's this wedding at?" Rose asked, still facing the impatient woman.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna answered, her volume raising a hair louder with each word.

Rose nodded as she turned to join the Doctor by the console. He was focused on plugging in the coordinates so that they could get Donna back to where she belonged. Once she made it towards him another sudden wave of dizziness overcame her. Gripping the edge of the console she blinked rapidly for a moment to clear the spots in front of her eyes as well as the lightheaded fogginess in her head. The Doctor didn't notice her discomfort as she hid it once he spoke up.

"Right! Chiswick."

The moment the TARDIS touched the ground Donna practically ran out of the room, the Doctor and Rose slowly coming behind her to stand at the doors. As quickly as she quieted down she then started to shout back at them.

"I said 'Saint Mary's,' what sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

Rose copied Donna and craned her neck to get a better look at their surroundings, squinting at the sunlight before shielding her eyes with her hand. Something felt…wrong. Rose couldn't quite describe exactly what the feeling was but it was uneasy. She turned to the Doctor who was stroking the edge of the TARDIS doors with concern. No doubt that he could feel it too.

"Doctor, something's wrong with the TARDIS," she told him.

He nodded. "It's like she's…recalibrating!" In a flash he rushed back in to the console, Rose following right behind him. "She's digesting," he said. The Doctor placed a hand gently on the time rotor and looked up at the ceiling. "What have you eaten? What's wrong?"

Rose placed a hand on the rotor next to his. She felt a trembling feeling in the pit of her stomach and jerked her hand away like she had been burned. The Doctor noticed how she recoiled and immediately looked concerned.

"Rose, what's wrong?"

She waved him off dismissively. "'S nothing, Doctor. I'm just a little sick in the stomach."

His brows furrowed. "Sick? You didn't tell me you felt sick, when did it start?"

"A couple minutes ago, it's nothing," she brushed off again. It probably wasn't anything important. "'S probably my nerves from saying goodbye to Mum, that's all. We should focus back on Donna right now."

The Doctor nodded. "Okay, but if it doesn't ease up later I'll check you up in the medbay if you want." Turning back to the console to fiddle with controls, he called back for Donna. "Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might've done?" He bent down to pick up a stethoscope and began to move around the console, trying to figure out what was going on. "Any sort of alien contact? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you seen lights in the sky? Or, did you touch something? Something-something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or— "

Rose turned away from the console and glanced outside. Donna was running around the outside of the TARDIS, bewildered by its size differentiation. "Uh, Doctor—"

He wasn't paying attention. He was more focused on the TARDIS at the moment while trying to find an answer to, well everything. "Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

"Doctor," Rose tugged at his sleeve, gaining his attention. He stopped talking and turned around. Donna stood by the doors and stared at them. Before they knew it she turned to sprint away.

"Donna!" Both the Doctor and Rose shouted as they ran after her, Rose fighting against the lightheadedness.

Once they caught up to her she gradually slowed down a bit but still tried to get far away from them as possible. They walked beside her—Rose on her right and the Doctor to her left—and matched her step to step. They needed to figure out how she transported herself into the TARDIS and they couldn't do it without the main factor.

"Donna," the Doctor began gently.

"Leave me alone," she shot back angrily. "I just want to get married."

Rose lightly touched her arm. "Come back to the TARDIS."

Donna shook her head. "No way! That box is too…weird."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's…bigger on the inside, that's all."

"Oh! That's all?" she let out an exaggerated sigh and checked her watch, and tried to hide the emotional thickness in her voice. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are," The Doctor suggested.

"How do I do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" he frowned. Rose shot him a look and shook her head. Wow, he's still very disoriented.

Donna stopped walking and stared at him like he dribbled on his shirt. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?" The Doctor realized the silliness of his question and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as she continued. "When I went to my fitting, do you think I said, 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets?'"

He squinted his eyes as she yelled the last word and nodded. "This man you're marrying, what's his name?" the Doctor asked.

"Lance," Donna said affectionately with a loving smile.

"Good luck Lance," he said and Rose bit back on a laugh.

"Oi!" Donna said offensively, pointing a finger at him. "No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" She turned and ran off again, leaving the two behind.

"I'm…I'm not…I'm not…I'm not from Mars…" the Doctor mumbled.

"What're you waiting for, go after her," Rose said, holding her stomach.

The Doctor saw Rose's discomfort and grew concerned again. Why did she suddenly feel sick? She was fine ten minutes ago. "You sure you're okay?"

"Stomach ache, 's all. I don't wanna slow you down. I can stay with the TARDIS, see if she's doing alright."

The Doctor was about to protest but Donna was getting further away from their reach and she was important to figuring out this whole mysterious and impossible thing. "Okay, I'll be right back. Just…don't wander off."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "Where'm I gonna go, Doctor?"

He gave a small smile and scrunched his nose. "Well, you're known for breaking the number one rule," he joked.

"You have room to talk, don't you ran we do?" she retorted back with a smile.

The Doctor grinned. "Fair enough." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips before running after Donna.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Rose walked slowly back to the TARDIS and shut the doors. Her head felt cloudy and congested while her stomach was churning and in knots. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn't feel like this when she said goodbye to her mum through the projection, and her nerves were shaken on high ends during that tearful farewell but not this way. So why was she like this? Was it all just shock from this whole Donna appearing on the TARDIS while in-flight mystery?

Plopping herself down on the jump seat with a sigh, Rose leaned back to look up at the time rotor. The TARDIS wasn't feeling well either and the Doctor couldn't figure out why. Leaning back further she patted a coral strut just within reach.

"What's the matter, girl? What's gotcha down?" she asked softly.

The TARDIS responded with a light hum, but Rose wasn't sure what it meant. It sounded like She was telling her nothing was wrong all the while hiding how she really felt. Almost like asking a little kid with a scrape on their elbow if it hurt and they brushed it off, despite the fact they were about to cry. It was…odd.

Taking her hand away from the strut Rose lolled her head back and closed her eyes. Her head still felt foggy and her stomach turned. This has to be from the shock, she thought. Yeah, shock from this whole Donna incident and shock from saying goodbye to her mother for the last time. Oh, how she missed her. Granted, she knew her mother was supportive and proud of Rose no matter what, she just wanted her to be happy with the choices she made. And she was. She had the Doctor and that was more than enough of a reason to enjoy life. She just wished the same for her mother. Another Tyler was on the way, a little brother or sister, and she would never meet them.

With her eyes still shut she reminisced on some pleasant memories with her mum, from when she was a little girl first attempting to ride a tricycle to when she was an official adult coming to her and swapping stories about past boyfriends and her motherly advice. She thought about the last conversation between them in this very room, left alone while the Doctor was outside dealing with the 'ghost.' Her mother asked when this lifestyle of hers would stop and if she'd ever settle down. When she said her final goodbye, she took back everything she said and supported her choices. Jackie knew how important the Doctor was to her and respected her decisions.

The peace and quiet ended almost instantly when she heard a familiar voice call from outside. "Rose! Get the door!"

Jumping to her feet she sprinted down the ramp and thrust the door open, and almost getting tackled by the Doctor. She stepped off to the side to give him room as he ran towards the console.

"What happened? Where's Donna?" Rose asked, following him.

"The Pilot fish are back," he said quickly, running around the controls frantically in blinding speed. "Donna got in a cab that was being driven by one and they're getting away with her."

"So I take it we're back to the original Christmas tradition then," she commented lightly.

He looked up from the console and grinned. "Just like old times, eh?" His joking tone turned one to seriousness and assurance. "I can lock onto it though and we'll be able to locate where they're going and get her back here."

"What do they want with her?"

"I've got no idea, but we'll never know if we can't get her back. This mystery's getting more exciting, innit?"

Rose giggled as she stood next to him at the console. "Does that make us Holmes and Watson, then?"

"Ooh, nice one! No doubt I'm Holmes," he nudged her shoulder playfully before returning at the task at hand. "Hold on tight."

The TARDIS began to jerk wildly as the Doctor steered it. Of course it was easier said than done as his ship wasn't cooperating fully. After a sudden dangerous tilt to the side that almost sent the both of them toppling over down the ramp, he bent down to retrieve his mallet from underneath and smacked it against the console, creating a ding.

"Behave!"

Gripping the console with a white knuckle grip Rose held herself up. "Doctor, are we…flying? Like _really_ flying?"

"Yeah, She doesn't really like it 'cause it's something She doesn't technically do, but it's the only way to reach the cab," the Doctor replied, making a frustrated sound as he whacked the console again with the hammer.

Another jerk caused them to fall down on the floor briefly before bouncing them back up. Just as he was about to hit the console again an annoyed hum filled their ears, causing the Doctor to grit his teeth and grumble.

"She also doesn't appreciate being hit with a hammer," Rose informed him.

The Doctor grunted and threw the mallet back under the console and peeked at the monitor to see where they were. They were close. "Rose listen, this is important. See that lever there," he nodded his head to his left indicating said control, "keep a hold onto it, don't let go of it. When I say, you push it forward, got it?"

"Yeah," she answered.

She moved over to the side and grasped it and he ran towards the doors. The moment he opened them he was met with the motorway speeding by and held onto the sides of the door frame for leverage. A taxi cab was directly in front of him with a frightened ginger woman in the backseat.

"Open the door!" he yelled at Donna in the taxi. Her window was up but surely she could hear him, or at least be able to make out his words.

"Do what?" she yelled back.

Or maybe not. "Open the door!" he repeated slower this time, not dropping his volume.

"I can't, it's locked!" she answered. The Doctor gritted his teeth and made another frustrated noise as he leaned against one side of the door to pull out his sonic to point it at her door. His hair was whipping in the wind from speeding The lock was picked and Donna rolled the window down. "Santa's a robot," she said surprised.

He sighed and rolled his eyes at her. "Donna, open the door!"

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" she hollered.

Before he could respond to her stubbornness the taxi gained its speed and left him behind in its dust. He cursed inwardly as he called back into the TARDIS. "Rose, pull it now!"

She did as she was directed and pulled the lever. He heard a flickering sound and something exploding. Whipping his head back to check on Rose, he noticed the console smoking with a small fire on the opposite side begin to spark.

"Watch out!" He cried just as she yelped when a small explosion blew up close to her around the console.

The TARDIS jerked again and made contact with the roof of another car in front of them causing him to stumble. The Doctor gripped the sides of the door frame tightly but was thrown off balance when the TARDIS connected with the asphalt of the speeding motorway, skidding against it for a split second before finally coming to drift next to the taxi again. Now that they were in an even line with the vehicle he pulled himself back up and turned his head to look back inside to see if Rose wasn't hurt.

"'M fine, don't worry about me," she called to him. Her safety would always be his number one priority.

The Doctor turned back to the taxi and yelled at Donna again. "Listen to me, you've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway," Donna shouted back defiantly.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you," he quickly explained. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely!" he said, exasperated. "Come on!" Rassilon, this woman is a real piece of work.

Donna finally took his word and opened the door, slowly coming toward the edge as the Doctor held his arms out readying himself to catch her. She glanced up at his waiting arms then down at the speeding motorway. When she looked back up the fear in her eyes was evident.

"I can't do it."

"Trust me," he said calmly with a low and serious tone. The panic in her face wasn't letting up as much, so he had to reassure her with the one thing he was absolutely certain about. The one thing that kept him going now matter what fears came face to face with him. "Rose trusts me with her life, Donna. She's been with me for years and never once did she not trust me, I can assure you. Now, jump!"

His encouragement was all the motivation Donna needed as she flitted her gaze once more between the asphalt and himself. Taking a deep breath she finally jumped with a shriek and landed in his arms, knocking him back into the bottom of the ramp as they fell together. As if on cue the TARDIS doors slammed shut as it shot into the sky and away from the motorway. Looking back at the console he saw Rose walk over to them to help both him and Donna to their feet. Once he stood he pulled Rose in for a tight hug and kissed the top of her head.

"You were brilliant," he praised as he released her to circle back to the still smoking console to take over. The TARDIS needed a break after that wild chase.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor parked the TARDIS on a roof and informed Rose and Donna to exit immediately to avoid breathing in the clouds of smoke. They stood together outside and watched as he used an extinguisher to settle the smoke from thickening even coughed and gagged a couple times, and it wasn't pretty. Rose tried to peek inside to get a glimpse of him to make sure he was okay, but the smoke clouds obstructed her view.

"You all right in there?" she called out to him. Although he could handle things differently than humans it still was a concern.

The extinguisher stopped for a second. "Yep, all good," he called back in his normal tone as he made his way out of the TARDIS and gave it one last spurt before shutting the door. "Whew, that's thick." He set down the extinguisher and made his way over to the girls. "Thing is, for a spaceship, She doesn't actually do much flying." He twisted his head back to look at the damage and saw streaks of smoke still pouring out. "We'd better give Her a couple of hours," he said. "You two all right?"

Rose nodded, pressing her lips together tightly. The Doctor furrowed his brows at her and moved closer.

"Rose?"

He noticed the way she was hiding her left hand in the sleeve of her jacket. He reached over and took it away from her body to have a look. He turned over her hand to inspect it and found a few burns discolored on the skin of the backs of her knuckles and one on the palm of her hand. Though small, they still would leave nasty welts and scabs. Luckily this was all she got when the console exploded around her. He arched an eyebrow at her and in response she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm fine, Doctor," she stressed. "They don't even hurt that much, they're nothin.'"

The Doctor looked down at her burns again and brought her hand up to brush a soft kiss over each one over her knuckles then flipped her hand over to place on on her palm. "Anything else? Still feel sick?"

She shook her head. "I'm feeling better right now, jus' a little clouded, not too bad."

Accepting that, he let go of her hand and turned his attention to the ginger woman. "And you, Donna?"

"Doesn't matter," she said with a shrug, her voice flat.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, you can book another date," the Doctor suggested lightly.

"'Course we can," she said, but the flatness in her tone didn't let up.

Rose moved closer to her and lightly touched her arm. "Still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now," she shrugged again.

"We're so sorry," Rose said sadly.

"It's not your fault," she shook her head at them. "Neither of you."

"Oh!" The Doctor's brows arched slightly at that and smiled at Rose on the other side of Donna. "That's a change." She returned his small smile with one of her own.

"Wish we had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." Donna said.

The Doctor and Rose shared a quick glance before he said, "Yeah, but…even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."

Donna took her gaze away from the horizon and gave him a suspicious look before walking slowly over to the edge of the roof and sat down. The Doctor and Rose shared another sad glance before following her. He took off his jacket to put it around Donna's shoulders so that she wouldn't freeze and sat next to her with Rose on his other side.

"God, you're skinny," Donna commented, trying to wrap the jacket around her more fully. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

The Doctor leaned over to Rose and whispered. "First complaint I've heard for it, eh?" Rose patted his arm. He straightened his posture and spoke up this time. "Oh," he reached in his pocket and pulled out an object, "and you'd better put this on."

Rose eyed the item and it looked like a wedding ring. She elbowed his side and muttered at him warningly. "Doctor." He looked at her confused. He didn't even realize what he was doing. Still disoriented, Rose thought.

Donna saw the ring. "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

"Those creatures can trace you. This," he held up the ring to her as he took her hand, "is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He slipped the ring on her finger, "With this ring, I thee bio-damp." He added, popping the 'p' at the end.

"For better or for worse," Donna said lightly showing it off. The Doctor grinned at her before facing the horizon again while slipping his arm around Rose's shoulder, pulling her closer to rest on his chest. Donna turned back as well and asked, "So, come on then. Robot Santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor answered. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

"Why, what happened then?"

"Big spaceship over London," he said. How can anyone not know about it?

"We were on top of it. You didn't notice?" Rose added, surprised.

"I had a bit of a hangover," Donna shrugged.

The Doctor glanced down at Rose, arching his brows. She just patted his chest and shrugged, turning back to the skyline.

"We spent Christmas Day just over there, at the Powell Estate," Rose pointed across the skyline to her former residence. "That's where I'm from." She gestured at the Doctor. "Even made him wear a paper crown."

He sniffed and adjusted his tie. "And I looked quite dashing in it, don't you think?"

Rose put a finger on her chin as if in thought. "Hm, maybe." The Doctor turned to her with mock offense which led to both of them giggling. She patted his knee before finishing what she was saying. "Spent it with my old mate and my mum." She took a breath as she remembered that day. Crazy as it was it was also one of the best days of her life. The Doctor had regenerated into the man he was now and everything was new for the both of them. Her smile dropped to a frown. "Nothing there for me now," she added quietly.

The place had so many great memories, now that's all she had left of it—just memories. No one living there anymore, what good was it now? She felt the Doctor squeeze her upper arm comfortingly as she pillowed her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers and kissed her softly on the top as they looked out in the distance.

Donna watched the two hold onto each other. Something serious must have happened since they were both smiling and laughing one minute and now they seemed to be grieving. It was none of her business but she wanted to know, she was curious.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Glancing down at Rose as they both sat in silence, the Doctor shifted uncomfortably and rubbed her arm gently as she straightened up. They couldn't get into this, not now. The pain was achingly fresh and not to be prodded with at the moment. It was depressing enough for the both of them, and he didn't want to burden others with their grief. Instead of answering Donna's question he threw her one of his own returning attention to the current situation.

"Question is," he turned to Donna, "what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know—" He lifted his arm from around Rose to reach over and pull out the sonic from his suit jacket still wrapped around Donna. "What's your job?"

Rose watched Donna eye him suspiciously again as he scanned her with the sonic. "I'm a secretary," she said.

"It's weird," he said. "I mean you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important—"

Rose smacked his arm, but it didn't seem to phase him.

"Tell me, Rose," Donna said with an annoyed tone. "Did you ever just wanna punch him in the face?"

"Not always, but maybe I should," she replied.

The Doctor didn't even register her words as his concentration on the sonic was of more importance. Donna swatted his hand away. "Stop bleeping me!"

He just stared at her as if he didn't know what he had done wrong. Rose pinched him in the side, making him jump slightly. "Rude," she whispered, scolding him.

His eyes flitted between the two women. "What?"

"Is he always like this?" Donna asked.

Rose shook her head. "No, not all the time. He's just confused and stressed out by everything 'cause he doesn't know what's going on, and he knows everything." She squinted at him. "Well, _almost_ everything."

"Oi!" The Doctor cried.

Donna snorted. "Men, am I right? Martian or not they're all the same."

The Doctor huffed. When did everyone start ganging up on him? They needed to go back to the original topic. "Anyway," he drawled. "Getting back on track, what kind of secretary are you?" He asked.

"I'm at HC Clements," Donna answered. "It's where I met Lance." She said affectionately. "I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought, 'I'm never gonna fit in here', and then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance—he's the head of HR, he don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny, and it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him—one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"Six months ago," she said, still with affection.

"Bit quick to get married, innit?" Rose asked, raising her brows.

"Well, he insisted," Donna said. "And he nagged, and he nagged, and he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

The Doctor pressed his lips together as Rose nodded. He gave her a quick glance and he swore he heard a small chuckle escape from her. "What-what does HC Clements do?"

"Oh, security systems, you know. Entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'."

"Keys…" the Doctor drew out as he thought. Codes, keys… maybe it could contain different kinds of keys, and not the basic conventional ones.

"Anyway, enough of my CV," she said, bringing the Doctor out of his thinking. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy."

"Yeah…I'm not from Mars," he informed her firmly before standing up with Rose, his arm now around her waist. He held out a hand for Donna at the same time and helped her up, taking his jacket off of her shoulders.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned," Donna remembered as she walked to the TARDIS. "Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

Rose followed after her when the Doctor pulled her aside. "Was I being rude again earlier?" he asked.

Rose chuckled and patted his forearm. "Yes, you were. But that's who you are, right? Mr. Rude and Not Ginger," she smiled at him sweetly. He made a happy sound in the back of his throat. Rose leaned closer to him and lowered her voice, "Though Donna's pretty ginger, don't ya reckon?"

"That she is," he laughed. "A fiery one at that."

She eyed him. "You know, she asked me if I ever wanted to punch you in the face before," she teased.

His eyes bulged. "What?! Why would she ask that?"

"You said she wasn't important or special, Doctor."

"No no no, I didn't mean it that way, I meant…she's just…not like…" he scratched the back of his neck as he sputtered. He let out a sigh. "Oh." He blinked a few times before asking, "Y-you never actually wanted to punch me in the face, did you? I mean, you've hit my arms but…you wouldn't punch my face." She didn't answer him. His eyes widened. "Rose?"

She burst out with laughter. "Your face was the best," she placed a hand on his arm. "No, Doctor."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good. You're very strong, you know." He rubbed his arm and made a pained expression. "I can still feel the bruises," he exaggerated before snickering when she swatted at his chest.

"Oi!" Donna called out. She stood with her hands on her hips and stared at them. "Are you two done foolin' around? We've got a reception to go to! Bad enough I already missed the ceremony."

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance before nodding. When they walked up to her, he nudged Rose's shoulder. "I think you enjoy getting me into trouble."

Rose responded with a playful and contagious snicker.


	3. The Runaway Bride Part 2

**A/N: This is unrelated to the story but thank God for Tumblr! I found a link to watch the first episode of the new series of Broadchurch, and I was on the edge the entire time. I won't spoil anything here but it's nice to see Hardy again. Any opportunity to hear DT's Scottish accent is just asdfghjkl. *_***

**Okay, that's enough of me fangirling, enjoy! Thanks to those who've reviewed, faved and followed! You're all cool cats :')**

* * *

_**Chapter 3: The Runaway Bride Part 2**_

The Doctor and Rose stood on the side by the bar while couples got up to the dance floor. Donna was smiling the widest and brightest they have ever seen for the first time today. She was genuinely enjoying herself as she and her husband moved to the upbeat rhythm of the song playing while surrounded by all of their loved ones, family and friends alike, though they were skeptical about where that Nerys woman fit in exactly.

When they finally arrived to the reception hall though, it was a totally different scene. Well, not really that much different. In fact it looked exactly the same as it did at the moment, except now Donna was participating in the celebration. The second they entered not one person in the room even acknowledged her presence. They were all partying and laughing as if nothing had even happened, that Donna's disappearance had barely concerned them—including the groom himself. Obviously the bride was furious at everyone for not worrying about her dilemma and had the reception without her.

The excuse they gave—particularly the woman Nerys—was that the whole thing was already paid for so they would be damned to let it go to waste. Then everyone began to point their fingers at Donna, asking questions and demanding answers at the exact same time. It was utter chaos without the physical fighting and explosions. At that point both the Doctor and Rose had no idea what to do as they stood behind the poor woman, who was being put on the spot, in such an awkward circumstance. However Donna put on a brilliant facade and faked her tears, which led to the entire room to change their moods from accusing and disgruntled to sympathetic and cheery.

Now everything seemed to be put back into place—sort of anyways. The mystery of the impossibility that Donna seemed to defy by somehow transporting herself into the TARDIS while they were still in-flight still hung in the air to be solved. While Rose was just as curious about the incident as the Doctor was, she wanted to relax for a minute.

"Very festive, innit?" Rose commented, watching the groups of people crowding the dance floor. "I mean, it's nice that Donna gets to finally have fun but when she first came in here, nobody paid any attention to her, like she didn't exist."

The Doctor nodded, looking around the room. "These are different people, Rose. They have a different way of life, morals and whatnot. Of course they'll act differently than how others normally would act, including us."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, 'cause our lives are _so_ normal," the Doctor chuckled at her response. "Tell you one thing though, if this was my wedding Mum never would have just stood around and celebrated like it was nothing."

The Doctor snorted as well. "Definitely not your mother, she'd hire an entire cavalry to go out in full force to find you."

They laughed at the thought of Jackie Tyler yelling at military personnel for a moment. Even though she would never see her mum again it was always nice to still joke around and remember all of the good times. The song that had been playing stopped and changed to another upbeat song. She looked up at the Doctor and smiled.

"Wanna dance?"

His brows furrowed. "You still feel sick?"

"Doctor, I'm fine. My head feels like it's easing up more and more." She leaned her face on his shoulder. "You're tryna get out of it, aren't you?"

"No it's just that…" He scratched his sideburn. "Rose, we still need to figure out this whole Donna-Pilot fish mystery, remember?"

"Oh c'mon," she urged, nudging his shoulder. "'S just a short little dance." He looked like he was about to protest, so she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "The world doesn't end just because the Doctor dances."

He chuckled at her words. She had told him those exact words during the Blitz. Looking down at her wide smile and equally wide doe eyes was all it took. "Alright, but don't complain when I boast about my moves," he said, lifting his chin up and offering her his hand.

She took it and smiled. "I'll only complain if you either drop me or move like you have two left feet like some blokes do."

The Doctor opened his mouth with mock offense. "Rose Tyler, what do you take me for? You know very well that I'm definitely not your average bloke."

"Never doubted it," she said, smiling wide which mirrored on his own face as he led her to an open space on the edge on the crowded dance floor.

They both got into the groove of the dance almost instantly, spinning around and stepping in rhythm with each other and not missing a beat. Though his previous incarnation had some nice moves, the Doctor couldn't deny that this body was perfectly designed for dancing. Like Rose had said she had no doubts about his suave attitude and movements, and he couldn't let her down. Right when the song was nearing its end the Doctor dipped her over one last time and bent down to give her a breathtaking kiss.

The song had ended, so they straightened up and headed back over to the bar. The Doctor scanned the crowd before leaning towards Rose. "D'you have your mobile?"

Rose nodded. "'S in my back pocket, why?"

"I need to do some researching on this HC Clements, see what it's all about." She nodded, handing him her phone as he perched his glasses on his nose and took the sonic out from his jacket. Rose moved to stand on his side to block other people's view of what he was doing. As she kept watch she heard a faint growl come from his chest. "Of course, it had to be," he ground out.

"What is it?" She turned her head to see what he was talking about. The Doctor had typed in 'HC Clements' and her breath hitched at what came up on the screen:

_**Sole Prop.**_

_**TORCHWOOD**_

"But they were destroyed," Rose said quietly, the anger in her voice visible. "How's that possible?"

The Doctor grimaced at the screen. "Must be what's left of it, like a small secret faction."

He glanced up from the rim of his glasses to peek at Rose. No doubt that she was enraged and a bit more upset at the information more than himself, but that was understandable. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of the chaotic events that took place that day, from them almost losing each other by being separated between two worlds with no way of reaching each other to Rose actually losing her own mother who was trapped on the other side and whom she would never see again.

He pained at the thought of the anguish and guilt of the incident and could only imagine what would have happened if it was Rose on that side. Had she not made her decision to come back to him in their world and ended up trapped on the other side far from his reach…no, he didn't want to go into such dark thoughts of the 'what ifs.' Both of them narrowly escaped that close call and that was all that mattered. The reality was that she was here with him after all that madness, and he could not be more grateful.

Clearing the information from the screen he handed her phone back inconspicuously, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Rose poked his arm and nodded to the other side of the room. "Doctor, there's the cameraman," she said quietly. "He might have something on film."

The Doctor smirked. "Good thinking, Lewis." They swerved around the crowd until they reached the cameraman. "Excuse me, were you at the ceremony as well?" he asked.

"Yeah, I taped the whole thing," the man replied, bringing up the film for them to see. "They've all had a look. They said 'sell it to You've Been Framed' and I said 'more like the News'. Here we are..."

They both watched intently as the tape began to play. Donna was walking down the aisle, a big smile on her face turning into a scream as it zoomed in on her when a golden light glowed around her before disappearing into thin air.

"Can't be!" the Doctor said, his brows furrowed. "Play it again?" He brought his hand to the camera to take a closer look as the tape replayed.

"Clever, mind!" the cameraman said. "Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."

Rose peered over the Doctor's shoulder as she re-watched the film. "Doctor, that looks familiar," she said. "That light…I've seen that before."

The Doctor registered her words and kept his eyes fixed on the film as it kept replaying. "Huon energy," he breathed out.

"What's that?" the cameraman asked them, confused.

"That's impossible," the Doctor said, pocketing his glasses. "That's…ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, apart from the TARDIS and…" He trailed off glancing at Rose. She was referring to Bad Wolf, but he had expelled all of it from her before it could burn her mind. She couldn't have any more in her system to worry about, he was sure—but of course a small part of him believed a small trace could still be inside her. He focused back on what he was saying. "Hasn't existed for billions of years! So old that…" he trailed off again as his eyes drifted over to Donna over on the other side. Oh no. His face turned to one of horror. "…it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!"

He took off across the room with Rose on his heels as they approached the endangered woman. "Donna! Donna, they've found you!" the Doctor yelled.

"You said I was safe!" she cried.

"The bio-damper doesn't work!" Rose called.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as they approached Donna. "They're here, and we need to not be." he added.

She looked confused. "But this is my family!"

"C'mon, out the back door!" he yelled, tugging with him as Donna followed them down a corridor. They made it to the door but when the Doctor opened it, they were greeted with a couple of the Robot Santas. "Maybe not," he said with a grunt, slamming the door shut and running back into the hall. Making it near the windows they noticed more of the Santas approaching the building from outside.

"We're trapped," Donna said hopelessly.

They saw one of the Santa robots lift up their hands with a remote control in their grasp, and it was instantly recognizable. "The Christmas trees," Rose said, gripping the Doctor's arm.

"What about them?" Donna asked, confused.

"They kill," the Doctor answered as he let go of Rose and ran into the crowd. He pointed at the girls. "Gather the people, get them away from the trees," he directed as the three of them yelled and tried to urge everyone to step away from Christmas trees. Of course they weren't taking it.

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot!" Donna's mother shouted over them and began to question. "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree gonna…" she trailed off, her irritation turning into wonder. "Oh! Look."

The small baubles floated off of the tree and hovered in the air, dancing around the guests' heads. While everyone smiled up at marveled at the decorations as they whizzed above them, the Doctor and Rose looked at them suspiciously. "This isn't right," she muttered. Not long after the ornaments began to explode in many parts of the room, now making everyone fearful and scream.

One of them quickly came near Rose from behind, but the Doctor was faster. "Rose, watch out!" he shouted, pushing through the herd of people to bring her to the floor.

The bauble exploded just above them and the Doctor shielded her body with his own to protect her from the blast. He lifted himself off of her to see if she had gotten injured, and luckily she was fine. He noticed a stand-up table on the side of the room by the DJ booth. Lifting himself to his feet and helping Rose up with him, the Doctor made sure she was safely underneath the table and out of harm's way.

Moving close to her ear so that she could hear him, he quietly said. "Stay down and cover your ears. I've got a plan."

"What're you gonna do?" Rose asked, just barely hearing herself over the screaming and explosions.

He gave her a lopsided grin and held up the sonic. "Improvise." As he stood up he quickly made his way to the booth with the sonic in his hand. "Oi! Santa!" he called out. "Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver—" He picked up a microphone and spun it the air before catching it and speaking into it, "—don't let him near the sound system."

He stuck the sonic into a port in the amplifier, which created a loud high pitched screeching sound that vibrated throughout the room from every speaker. The Santas began to shake violently before deactivating and falling to pieces on the floor. He removed the sonic and ran over to Rose who was safe under the table, her hands still placed over her ears and eyes clamped shut.

"You okay?" he asked, placing his hands under her arms to help her stand.

She removed her hands and opened her eyes, fighting the dizziness and spots in her vision. "Yeah, brilliant plan. My ears are still ringing."

"Sorry about that. It worked though, didn't it?" He said, arching a brow.

"I'm glad that it did, just…please try not to make that sound again."

He smirked at her. "Deal." He then dashed over to the group of the dismembered robot Santas, kneeling down to examine the parts. Rose joined him eyeing the mechanics. "Look at that," he said softly, holding the remote in one hand and one of the robot's heads in the other. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

Rose looked at head that the Doctor was examining, lights on the bottom of it blinking rapidly. "Who is it, and why are they after Donna?"

"Never mind all that," Donna said as she came up to them. "You're a doctor, people have been hurt."

The Doctor picked up one of the baubles and circled it in his fingers. "Nah, they wanted you alive. Look," he tossed the item over his shoulder at her. "They're not active now."

Donna caught the decoration but paid no mind to it. "All I'm saying is that…you could help."

"Gotta think of the bigger picture," the Doctor muttered, holding the head up to his ear. His eyes widened and a grin spread on his face. "There's still a signal!"

"Well come on, let's follow it!" Rose exclaimed with a matching grin as she took his hand and ran for the door.

"Right on it, Lewis!" The Doctor cheered as they stepped outside. Once they made it outside he began to scan the robot head for the signal's wavelength. "There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force."

Donna caught up to them, Lance not that far behind. "But why is it me? What have I done?"

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," the Doctor replied. The sonic began to make a bleeping sound. "Oh!" Raising it up in the air he and Rose craned their necks up at the sky. "It's up there. Something in the sky."

"Could it be the Sycorax again?" Rose suggested, squinting her eyes in the sunlight.

Though last year the Sycorax spaceship was destroyed by a laser shot off by Torchwood as they were leaving Earth, it could still be possible for them to return, wouldn't it? Torchwood itself was destroyed yet it still existed, so anything could come back.

The Doctor shook his head, eyes still at the sky. "Not them, this signal's different. Someone's hiding." The sonic stopped bleeping and he lowered his arm to check it. "I've lost the signal." He turned to face Donna, still looked confused by everything. "Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements—I think that's where it all started." He turned to the black man standing behind her. "Lance—" He looked back at Donna with furrowed brows and gestured at the man, "—is it Lance?" He turned back to him, "Can you give us a lift?"

Not even waiting for Lance to give an answer the Doctor dove into the backseat of the car parked on the curb. Rose shrugged and hopped in after him.

"Hold on, have you been drinking?" Donna asked the almost-groom.

"I've had a couple, yeah," he admitted.

"No, I'll do the driving, then."

"No, you're not insured to drive my car."

"All right, then, we'll go take mine."

She ran off and they followed her down the street to where her car was parked by the curb. Not even hesitating the Doctor dove into the backseat of the car with Rose hopping in after him. It was cramped and his head was pressed against the roof, and he grimaced. The ginger woman drove off, but not to a good enough speed.

"Not much of a chase, is it?" he commented.

Rose elbowed him. "Rude."

"Oi, there's a speed limit," Donna told him. "I'm not going to jail in my wedding dress."

"It's like driving a hairdryer," he muttered to Rose.

"Hold on, speed bumps," Donna said before they passed over a speed bump in the road, causing the Doctor to hit his head on the roof of the car. He made a grumbling sound.

"It's alright, no rush," he said.

An uneasy feeling came to Rose as she eyed the groom. Something about him didn't measure right with her insides. At first she thought it was her sickness coming back, since it seemed to keep leaving and returning on and off quite frequently. But just being in the man's presence churned her stomach. He seemed hesitant, which would be reasonable considering this was his wedding day too, but…there was something strange about him. The Doctor must have noticed her discomfort and gave her a look but she just waved him off. He nodded and started to explain his key theory.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The ride didn't take too long, much to the Doctor's relief, and before they knew it they arrived to their destination. Once they pulled up to the company he dashed out before the car could park, Rose following him with Donna and Lance right behind them. They made it to the offices and the Doctor immediately ran over to the computers.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," the Doctor explained as he searched.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

Rose decided to answer her. "They were the reason for the battle of Canary Wharf." Donna just looked more confused. How did she not notice? She explained further. "Cyberman invasion? Tall, metal men? The skies over London cracking…full of Daleks? All that destruction…?"

Donna waved it off. "Oh, I was in Spain."

The Doctor looked up from the computer. "They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba diving?"

He blinked once at her. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He dashed over to another computer and started searching again. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.

Turning away from the computer to face her, Rose took his spot to look at the information while the Doctor explained. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy, and that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened."

Everything he was saying was only confusing her more, so he tried to explain it to her in simpler terms.

"Say…" He picked up a mug from the desk. "That's the TARDIS," he indicated the mug as he held it out to her, then picked up a pencil. "And that's you. The particles inside you activated." He shook the pencil for emphasis and then shook the mug with it. "The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP!" He threw the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"Well done, teacher," Rose lightly commented while studying the computer. The Doctor looked over and winked at her before turning back to Donna.

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna replied flatly, seeming to understand.

"Yes, you are. 4H." He said, spinning the pencil around in the mug, "Sums you up." He set the mug back down on the desk. "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? 'Do not enter?'"

Lance hesitated for a second. "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." He sounded defensive and irritated before adding, "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

"They make keys, that's the point," the Doctor replied.

Donna shook her head. "You keep saying that, what does that mean? What do keys have to do with anything?"

"Keys can be used for many different purposes, unlocking all kinds of things," he said slowly. "Not just the standard conventional kinds, but something more—"

Rose tapped his arm to get his attention. "Doctor, you'll wanna see this."

Moving to stand next to her he bent down to peer at the computer screen intently. The Doctor watched as she brought up a 3D schematic of the building. His brows raised slightly at what it showed. Something was missing, hidden somewhere. "Oh, now that is interesting," he said slowly. "Brilliant, Rose!"

He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her temple before sprinting over to the lift, pressing the call button.

"What? What is it?" Donna asked as they all followed him.

"We're on the third floor," he began. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The lift arrived and he stepped inside and finished what he was saying, "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'?" He pointed over to the panel of button, indicating said button. "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

Lance furrowed his brows at him. "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" he asked incredulously.

"No, he's _showing_ you this building's got a secret floor," Rose corrected him. She glanced at the Doctor, who gave her a proud smile and another wink.

"But it needs a key," Donna told him.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't." He took out his sonic and aimed it at the lock, which clicked a moment later. "Right then, c'mon Rose, got some solving to do." Rose didn't waste any time as she came in and took one of his hands in her own. He looked over at the couple. "Thanks you two, we can handle this. See you later."

"No chance, Martian," Donna said, stepping in with them. "You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you or your girlfriend out of my sight."

Rose glanced at the Doctor and smiled. "Going down."

"Lance?" Donna said pointedly.

The man hesitated again. Every action he did made Rose twitch inside—she didn't trust this man. "Maybe I should go to the police."

"Inside," Donna ordered, which he obeyed in defeat.

"To honor and obey?" the Doctor asked him.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance sighed.

"Oi." Donna said, as Rose bit back a laugh.

As the lift descended Rose felt another twitch along with a wave of dizziness. She shook her head to rid the spots from her eyes, which caught the Doctor's attention again. He arched his brows at her. She took a glance at Lance, who stood in front of the Doctor, and shook her head. Nodding her head at the man, she tried to mouth her words._ I don't trust him._

The Doctor seemed to understand her and mouthed words of his own, shaking his head as well. _Me either._ He squeezed her hand and nodded once, reassuring her to be cautious of the man. The Doctor most likely felt the same suspicious vibe that Lance gave off just like her, and she was relieved she wasn't the only one. Everything would be found out shortly.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

When they reached the lower basement, they stepped out of the lift. "Where are we? What goes on down here?" Donna asked.

The Doctor looked around the corridor. "Let's find out."

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?"

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it," the Doctor told her. "Oh, look." Suddenly something caught his eye and he grinned. "Transport." He ran over to a wall where three segways were parked. "Brilliant! Each of you grab one," he turned to Rose. "Looks like you're gonna have to ride with me," he grinned.

Rose eyed the vehicles and frowned. "Doctor, there's not that much room."

The Doctor grabbed a segway and smiled. "Nah, we'll be alright." He slapped his stomach and grinned. "I'm skinny enough, so there'll be the right amount of room for the both of us."

"You calling me fat?" Rose asked, crossing her arms over her chest and arching an eyebrow.

His smile fell and his eyes widened. "What? No! No, no, no, I didn't…you're not…you're in great shape. Very, very fit—not fat at all. Curvy yes, fat no." His face reddened and he tugged on his earlobe and froze up. "Ah! I mean, ehm…err, round. Yes! That's good, yes? Round in the right…places. Oh, um…"

Rose gaped at him then burst into a laughing fit as the Doctor sputtered in embarrassment.

"Oi, you two!" Donna called back at them, already on her segway as well as Lance. "Stop flirtin' around, let's go!"

Rose stepped onto the vehicle first followed by the Doctor standing right behind her, the double rhythm of his hearts pressed against her back. His arms circled around hers as they both gripped onto the handles, Rose resting her hands on top of his. It was a little snug, but still managed to be a little more comfortable when they shifted a bit.

She leaned back and craned her neck to look at him. "Are my _curves_ in the way, Doctor?"

He cleared his throat, but his voice was still squeaky. "No, no, you're good." He turned on the machine. "Right, here we go, allons-y!"

They each took off at a whopping speed of probably ten miles an hour, and it didn't take long before Donna started laughing at themselves. Soon after the Doctor and Rose caught on with her and laughed hard until they almost couldn't breathe. She leaned back against him and let out a content sigh. He lowered his head and nuzzled her hair as they continued their laughing fit. She hasn't been this carefree since after leaving Noel. It felt…right. They all were enjoying themselves at the silliness—everyone except for Lance, who just stared at the three of them like they were insane.

Donna couldn't help but smile at the couple next to her. It was obvious that they were both in love just by the random tender gestures they gave, not to mention the way they looked at each other. If she wasn't convinced before that sealed it. Alien or not this Doctor bloke showed compassion and care for this young blonde, who shared the same amount of love and respect for him as he did to her. Lance had never initiated such caring behavior, if she was being honest. She just hoped that their relationship could become a fraction of the other's.

As they continued down the corridor they came to a door labeled **_'Authorized Personnel Only'_** with a Torchwood symbol on it and a large wheel for entering. The Doctor jumped off from he and Rose's segway and the others followed suit. Spinning the wheel the door opened slowly. He stepped in and noticed a small opening at the top containing a ladder.

"Wait here," he said. "Just need to get my bearings. Rose," he pointed at the couple, "make sure they don't do…anything. Or wander off." With that he started up the ladder.

"You'd better come back," Donna told him.

The Doctor stopped climbing and dipped his head down to face them. "I couldn't get rid of you if I tried. And Rose— lhow could I leave her behind? I made a promise. And she'll be your insurance." He grinned and threw them a wink before advancing up the ladder.

Rose leaned in the room to gaze up at him, Donna standing beside her. "Did he pull some sort of Martian charm on you to keep you around?"

She let out a laugh. "No, I chose to stay with him 'cause I wanted to."

"Well it's convincing," Donna said, chuckling. "I see the way you two look at each other, all googly-eyed. And the way you interact. Even a blind person could see that."

Rose blushed at Donna's words. Before she could respond Lance began to speak up. Donna turned to him and pulled them on the side as they argued. She ignored their words as her head felt like it was floating again. Placing her fingers on her temples she massaged them to ease the lightheadedness just as the Doctor hopped down in front of her, startling her for a moment before straightening up.

"Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us," he exclaimed. "Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"Seriously?" Rose said. That sounded so very Torchwood—sneaking around behind people's backs and sticking their noses in places they don't belong. Bloody gits.

Donna and Lance had finished bickering the second the Doctor's voice boomed throughout the corridor. "What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" she asked.

"I know! It's unheard of."

He took a hold of Rose's hand and led them through the corridors. They came across a door to a large laboratory. All sorts of chemistry equipment, huge test tubes, breakers and other scientific tools lined the area. When they entered they heard a chorus of various bubbling liquids. Of course the Doctor marveled at the sights like a kid in a candy shop.

"Oh, look at this!" He pulled Rose over to table to observe small tubes, a grin so wide it could silly his face in two. "Stunning!"

"What does it do?" Donna asked, looking at the tubes.

"Particle extrusion," he answered. "Hold on…" He darted over to one of the enormous bubbling tubes and tapped it with the indent of his finger. "Oh, brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked, furrowing his brows. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Oh, we're sort of…freelancers."

Rose stood next to him. "But if your people got rid of the Huon particles, how can they manufacture them?"

"They've been using the river, extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result—" He held up a test tube full of some kind of liquid, showing it to her. "—Huon particles in liquid form."

Donna came closer to him to look at the tube. "And that's what's inside me?" The Doctor glanced down at the knob on the top and slowly twisted it. The liquid contents began to glow gold, and Donna followed suit. "Oh, my God!"

The moment he activated the tube and it turned gold, Rose felt her stomach churn. She felt a sudden warmth spread across her body, and someone gasped behind her.

"Rose? Oh, my God, you have it too?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose and saw that her eyes were giving off a slight golden hue. He had a feeling deep down that, although he had absorbed all of the energy from her when she became the Bad Wolf, she may still have a slight amount lingering inside of her—residual energy. Part of the TARDIS was still within her. Turning the knob again, the golden glow faded away from both women. Rose stumbled a bit, but the Doctor wrapped his arms around her middle and held her upright.

"Doctor," she said weakly, her eyes fluttering a little.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face and studied her. "It's all right, you're okay," he soothed in her ear while rubbing her back as she held onto him.

Donna just stared at the two, mouth agape. This Doctor had said Rose was a human, but that didn't appear so. What the hell kind of aliens were they?

Rose got her strength back almost immediately and straightened herself up, releasing herself from the Doctor's protective arms. Well then, that probably explains her lightheadedness. "Am I really okay, Doctor?" she whispered.

He nodded and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Yes, it didn't seem that harmful, so don't be too concerned about that right now. We'll check you up in the medbay when this is all over just to be sure, okay?" When she nodded and offered him a soft smile, he gave her one in return. "That's my girl." He gave her another kiss on her forehead before turning back to Donna, who was gawking at them. "Donna?"

"You two, you're just so…impossible!"

The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked at her while Rose giggled, looking up at him. "That just about sums us up, don't you reckon?"

"Yep, that's us!" He exclaimed. Letting go of Rose and walking towards Donna. "Back to these particles—this is…genius. Because the particles are inert—they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then…" Suddenly he bounced back and yelled with manic enthusiasm at his realization. "HA! The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle—oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine." He gestured wildly at Donna, causing her jump at his unattainable energy. "WHAM! Go the endorphins! Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point," he shot his hand in the air, "SHAZAM!"

_Whack._

Once again he was cut off by the hard right hand of Donna slapping his cheek, making him stumble back. Unlike earlier when she held back her laughter, this time Rose winced at the sound of the loud crack across the Doctor's face. Poor Doctor, even though it's not his fault. Well, sort of.

"What did I do this time?" he cried indignantly.

"Are you _enjoying_ this?" Donna asked. The Doctor's confused expression turned to a frown, dropping his gaze to the ground. She remembered what Rose had told her earlier about how concentrated he gets with these…things. Letting out a sigh, she approached him. "Right, just tell me—these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes," the Doctor said without hesitation.

Donna wasn't convinced. "Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles…" she shook her head. "Why did they do that?"

The Doctor swallowed and spoke low. "Because they're deadly."

She knew it. "Oh, my God…"

Rose went to Donna and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, the hand from the opposite one holding her hand gently. "Donna, we'll sort this out, okay? It's what we do best, and the Doctor is very good at it, I assure you. He knows what he's doing."

"But…what about you, though?" Donna shook her head, the fear in her voice was visible. "That stuff's inside you, too, I saw it. He hasn't fixed you, and you two are together. How can I be sure he can help _me_?"

The Doctor moved in closer to the frightened woman. "Rose's situation applies to something else entirely, something very different and unique compared to this one," he explained. "But I promise you, whatever's been done, I'll reverse it. We've lost enough people lately, and I'm not about to lose someone else."

**_"Oh, she is long since lost!"_** A bellowing, raspy voice suddenly filled the laboratory. One of the walls slid up to reveal an enormous deep hole in the floor. **_"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe, until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"_**

Several of the robot Santas in black cloaks appeared on the railing, training their guns at them. Rose noticed in the corner of her eye, unsurprisingly, Lance taking off into a side door and leaving them behind.

The Doctor examined the hole, a frown creasing his face. "Someone's been digging—oh, that's very Torchwood," he said disdainfully, "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

_**"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!"**_ the voice rasped.

"What, seriously?" Rose asked, looking down at the hole. "Why?"

"Dinosaurs," Donna cut in.

Both the Doctor and Rose turned to her and stared, looking confused. "What?" she asked.

"…Dinosaurs?" she repeated, this time sounding uncertain.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked, still not understanding what she was getting at.

"That film, _Under the Earth_, with dinosaurs," Donna said. They just stared at her and blinked. "Trying to help!"

"That's not helping," the Doctor said.

"But it was a good thought," Rose added, with a faint smile.

_**"Such an amusing group,"** _the voice hissed.

The Doctor looked around the room to address the voice. "Only a madman talks to thin air, and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

_**"High in the sky,"**_ the voice answered.**_ "Floating so high on Christmas Night."_**

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom!" the Doctor shouted, causing Donna to jump slightly at his sudden tone. "Come on, let's have a look at you!" he prompted the speaker.

_**"Who are you with such command?"** _the voice demanded.

"I'm the Doctor," he replied.

**_"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart."_**

Suddenly a giant blood red spider-like creature with a somewhat humanoid front and multiple large, thick legs transported itself into the chamber. Both Rose and Donna winced at the unexpected appearance of this thing, but the Doctor stood between them with a hand placed firmly but gently on each of their arms. The creature hissed and bared its sharp fangs as it stood on a platform, looking down at them.

"The Racnoss," the Doctor said slowly, taking in the creature's appearance. "But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" He moved the hand on Rose's arm to wrap around the small of her back to bring her closer to him.

The creature hissed at him. "Empress of the Racnoss!"

* * *

**I know, I know, what an odd place to stop. This chapter was so long it was starting to lag on my Microsoft office app. =/ I actually cut out a humorous conversation between the Doctor and Rose in the beginning 'cause this was so long but I might use it for a later chapter, so no harm there. Luckily I'm working on these pretty quickly, so no worries. ;)**


	4. The Runaway Bride Part 3

**A/N: This episode was fun to write. As always thanks to the lovely people who've faved, followed and reviewed! It's nice to hear from you :)**

**In other news, DT won the People's Choice Award for Gracepoint, and I couldn't be happier for him! It's nice to know how dedicated us fellow American fans are to him and his work. Not only that, it's amusing sticking it to FOX for canceling the show. HA! XD**

**Also for the SPN fans, Misha won too! I'm laying in a bed of happiness ^_^**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: The Runaway Bride Part 3**_

Stepping forward, the Doctor studied the creature. By rights it was impossible for her to even exist, yet here she was. But how? "If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" he asked. "Or…are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress commented.

"That's it, the last of your kind." He walked back over to Rose and Donna and explained their species in a low voice. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times. Billions of years ago, _billions._ They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving," the Empress said, overhearing his words. "Is that our fault?"

Donna made a disgusted expression. "They eat people?"

The Doctor looked up at the large web thing spread across the ceiling. "Donna…your boss, HC Clements, did he wear black and white shoes?"

"He did!" she said as Rose followed his gaze and placed a hand over her mouth. "We used to laugh, we used to call him 'the fat cat in spats.'"

The Doctor nodded and pointed up to the web where a pair of legs dangled wearing those exact same shoes.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped.

"Mmm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress stressed as she cackled. A cold shiver coursed through Rose's body at the maniacal sound. The Doctor squeezed her hand, chasing away that chill before calling back at the Racnoss.

"You shouldn't even exist!" the Doctor shouted. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out."

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me," Donna spoke up all of a sudden.

Rose glanced behind the Empress and noticed Lance lurking in the shadows stealthily towards the creature with an axe in his hands, but she had another strange feeling inside. The Doctor stood beside her and touched the small of her back. When she looked at him a sad expression crossed his face. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Donna, however, was oblivious.

Instead she just kept talking, possibly adding more to the diversion. "That Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" The Empress took her gaze away, glancing at anywhere but her—or behind, which was good. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress said.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big…thing. But a spider's just a spider, and an axe is an axe!" She acknowledged Lance's presence and now this thing will get what's coming for her. "Now, do it!"

The Empress hissed at Lance when she turned around. He lifted the axe above his head preparing to strike—but he froze. He glanced over at Donna, who waited for him to take his shot, and started laughing.

"That was a good one," he said to the Empress, who started laughing along with him. "Your face was the best!"

"Lance is funny," the Empress said.

Donna stood, stunned. "What?"

The Doctor leaned over and quietly apologized to her. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she asked, furrowing her brows at him. She turned back to look at her groom. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance shook his head with a mocking smile. "God, she's thick. Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand," she breathed out with a small voice.

"How did you meet him?" Rose asked as she stepped closer to her.

"In the office," Donna answered.

The Doctor turned to her. "He made you coffee."

"What?"

Lance rolled his eyes and cut in smugly. "Every day, I made you coffee."

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor explained quietly.

"He was…poisoning me?" Donna asked, shocked.

The Doctor's face twisted in disgust and sneered. "It was all there in the job title—The Head of Human Resources."

"This time, it's personnel," Lance said, creating another short round of cackling from he and the Empress.

"But…we were getting married," Donna said, still in shock about what she had just learned. The man who was to become her husband turned out to be using her. Rose moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulder and squeezing it.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off," Lance replied. "I had to say yes, and then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap—" He rose his voice into a high pitched mimicking, "'Oh! Brad and Angelina! Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me.'" He returned to his normal voice. "Dear God, the never-ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal!"

Rose released herself from Donna and stepped forward angrily, glaring at the man. "The only thing you deserve is a nice hard slap to wipe that smug look of your face!"

"Rose, careful!" The Doctor whispered harshly, coming from behind her to pull her away from the enormous hole leading to the center of the Earth and close to his side. Being the daughter of Jackie Tyler would confirm that she wouldn't hold back from actually hitting the man, but this man wasn't worth that, worth her safety. He turned back to Lance, the look of disgust returning on his face. "Oh, is that what she's offered you, the Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her," Lance retorted nastily.

"But…I love you," Donna said, her voice sounding heart broken.

Lance have her a smug smile and false pity. "That's what made it easy," he turned back to the Doctor, "It's like you said, Doctor—'the big picture.' What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there, to see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who are these people?" the Empress cut in. "The little physician and the tiny blonde?"

"What she said," Lance told her, pointing at Donna. "Martians."

The Doctor tilted his head and released Rose from his side. "Oh, we're sort of…homeless." He stepped toward the hole to take a peek at what could be at the bottom. "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

Lance turned to the Racnoss, speaking in a mocking tone. "I think he wants us to talk."

"I think so too," the Empress agreed.

"Tough! All we need is Donna!" Lance spat at him.

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man and his precious little assistant!" the Empress ordered.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna yelled, moving to stand in front of them.

The Doctor wrapped a protective arm around Rose and pulled her to stand behind him then gently pushed Donna aside. "No, no, it's all right."

"No, I won't let them!" she cried.

"At arms!" the Empress ordered, the robot Santas raising their guns.

The Doctor raised his hands to protest. "Ah, now. Except—"

"Take aim!" the Empress interrupted as she ordered again, the robots obeying her commands.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious—" he tried to speak again, but got cut off once more by the Empress.

"They won't hit the bride, they're such very good shots." she bragged.

"Just-just-just-hold on," the Doctor stuttered, "Just a tick, just a tiny-just a little…tick." He reached into his jacket pocket and palmed the test tube with the liquid. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it…the spaceship comes to her."

Moving to stand in front of Rose to shield her from the Empress's view, the Doctor twisted the knob on the top again. Immediately the particles inside, as well as Donna and Rose, glow gold.

"Fire!" the Empress screamed, but the sounds of gunfire were drowned out from the wheezing arrival of the TARDIS as it materialized around them.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

When they found themselves back in the console room of the TARDIS, they could still faintly hear the Empress's screams. "Off we go!" the Doctor exclaimed as he ran to the console, still talking. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning." A small grin begin to stretch on his face.

Rose watched as Donna moved slowly around the console to sit on the jump seat, her eyes misty with unshed tears. This poor woman. She followed and sat next to her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

"Doctor," she said quietly trying to get his attention, but he was caught up in his activities and didn't hear her.

"That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna, Rose—we're going back further than I've ever gone before."

"Doctor," she repeated a little louder.

His grin dropped to a frown when he looked up from the controls and saw Rose sitting beside Donna on the jump seat, holding her in her arms as the poor ginger woman silently wept. He hadn't even registered her quiet sobs as he was punching coordinates into the TARDIS. Watching Rose comfort the woman with soft, soothing gestures made him realize all the more reason why he needed her. Unlike himself she was a human, meaning she understood things differently than him. Granted he may be a genius, but Rose had such heart and sympathy. He cared too, he wasn't like a Cyberman with no emotions, but the moment the TARDIS materialized around them he immediately took off to the console in wonder from all of the brilliance and the impossibilities, and just discarded how the poor woman felt.

Rose didn't though. She didn't forget, she never did. She was always the first person to show compassion. He had told her that she made him better and the list for all of the reasons how she had and why he loved her continued to grow impossibly larger each day. Silently standing by the console, the Doctor sympathetically watched as Donna grieved and Rose comforted her, which was what she did best. He may be the Doctor, the one who makes people better, but this pink and yellow human was the one who made him better, something he never could do for himself.

After a moment Donna calmed down a bit, her tears dried and sobs silenced. "We've arrived," he said quietly, "Want to see?"

Donna shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose," she said sadly, uninterested.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small, maybe your way's best."

Rose pulled her to her feet. "Come on."

The Doctor was already at the doors. "No human's ever seen this. You two'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said grumpily as Rose led her down the ramp to join him.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler…welcome to the creation of the Earth."

The Doctor threw the doors open and stepped aside for them to see what lay in front of them. He came to stand behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as they each marveled at the sight before them.

"We've gone back 4.6 billion years," he softly explained, resting his chin lightly on top of Rose's head as she leaned into his embrace. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He pointed at a small streak of light in the distance, surrounded by dark clouds of dust and gas. "That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

The view was just…amazing. "Where's the Earth?" Donna asked, softly.

"All around us," the Doctor answered. "In the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just…tiny." Donna said sadly. She hated to agree with the manipulator that was about to be her husband, but how could she not? She was small, insignificant, just absolutely…worthless.

"No, but that's what you do," the Doctor lightly said with encouragement. "The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all this?"

The Doctor smiled at the sight and hummed. "Isn't it brilliant?"

Rose couldn't speak, the view was utterly breathtaking. Just seeing exactly what her world became out of from a bunch of rocks and dust was incredible. "'S beautiful," she breathed out. Covering the Doctor's hands that were placed firmly on her waist with her own she threaded their fingers together, and leaned back in his arms. She craned her neck to look up at him and smiled.

Beautiful things came out from this amazing event, holding in all of its splendor just waiting to become so much more. All of the achievement these drifting rocks and gases gained was truly remarkable to say the least, and one of the greatest things that came out of all of this was now cradled in his arms. The Doctor gazed down and smiled warmly at the one person who proved so much, who made him believe. A small glimmer shined in Rose's eyes from the dull yet strong light that would soon become the Sun. Dipping his head down he captured her lips for a soft kiss.

Although she was painstakingly heartbroken from being rejected and mislead by someone she loved—so she had thought—Donna couldn't help but smile at the loving couple beside her. It was ironically heartwarming and uplifting for her to witness the moment. Of course this was such a private, personal gesture that she almost felt criminal to intrude on. After another moment, she turned to look outside again just as a large oddly shaped rock drifted by.

"I think that's the Isle of Wight," she joked.

Rose let out a quiet chuckle once the Doctor pulled away. Usually he wouldn't initiate things like kissing when around other people, but he had done it once already today when they danced in the reception hall and there was a crowd, though no one was probably watching them anyway. This was still pretty private, even with Donna standing beside them.

He cleared his throat before returning his gaze to the outside, resting his chin back on Rose's head. "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get…"

"The Earth," Donna finished with a small smile.

The Doctor nodded once and scanned the scenery. "But the question is…what was that first rock?"

"Look." Donna pointed to a star-shaped ship that suddenly emerged from behind the floating clouds.

His jaw tightened. "The Racnoss. Hold on, the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

"Exactly what you said," Donna said, as the star used a force and began to pull in the rocks and gases at a fast rate.

"They didn't just bury something at the center of the Earth," Rose said quietly.

"They _became_ the center of the Earth. The first rock," the Doctor finished firmly.

A sudden violent jerk from the TARDIS tipped their balance off slightly as it began to shake and nearly knocked them to the ground.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rose asked.

"Trouble," the Doctor said as he reached out to shut the doors then running back over to the console.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted as they trudged up the ramp.

The Doctor began pressing controls angrily in blinding speed. "Remember that little trick I pulled, particles pulling particles? It works in reverse—they're pulling us back!"

"Can't you stop it?" Donna shouted again. "Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered as he worked the controls. "Oh, wait a minute—" he ducked under the console and exclaimed as he pulled out something useful for the situation. "The extrapolator! Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" He noticed Rose in the corner of his eye holding her stomach again with her eyes clamped shut. Reaching a hand out to grasp her unoccupied one, he gave a gentle squeeze. "Rose, you okay?"

She nodded. "'M fine, just do what you have to."

He stared at her for a moment before focusing on the job at hand. Once the TARDIS fully materialized he whacked the extrapolator with his mallet. A bright light shined as the TARDIS shook again with a heavier jerk until coming to a complete stop. Running towards the door and opening it, he surveyed the corridor they were in.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right, come on!" Rose's hand slipped in his as they ran down the dimmed corridor, coming to a stop once they reached the familiar door that led to the Thames flood barrier.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked catching her breath.

The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out a stethoscope, using it to listen to the door. "I don't know, I make it up as I go along."

"What?"

Rose held up he hand. "It's alright, he does it brilliantly."

He clicked his tongue and threw her a wink before resuming his action.

Donna shook her head. "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth," he replied, moving the end of the instrument around the door. "But my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck."

As they both listened to him explain two figures snuck up from behind and grabbed them, holding their mouths to muffle their pleas for help. Rose kicked furiously trying to free herself from her captor's grasp but wasn't successful as both she and Donna were dragged away.

The Doctor, unbeknownst to the women being kidnapped, kept on explaining as he knelt down with the stethoscope. "They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you two have never been so quiet," he added, realizing the sudden quiet.

He stood from his kneeling position and turned around to expect Rose and Donna—neither of them were there, they just vanished. Looking up and down the corridor, the Doctor grinded his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides.

"Oh, _big_ mistake. You're messing with the wrong one." He could feel the Oncoming Storm itching to come out in full force at the surface. "Bad idea."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Rose fluttered her eyes for a moment, trying to adjust them to the new introduction of brighter lights. From what she could tell she was still grounded, but everything seemed to be spinning around her. Once her vision cleared her thoughts were confirmed as she found herself back in the chamber dumped on the side of the deep gaping hole leading down to the center of the Earth. Wonderful.

"I hate you," she heard Donna hiss from above. She was strung up in the web on the ceiling.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart," Lance replied. Turning her head as much as she could she noticed the deceiver wrapped up beside Donna. You're so lucky you're tied up 'cause I'd slap you silly, she thought.

"The precious assistant finally awakens from her nap," the Empress rasped. Rose made an attempt to move her body but didn't get anywhere. Her body was weak and her head was clouded. She saw the Empress look up at the web. "And my golden couple, together at last—your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" they shouted simultaneously.

"You're supposed to say 'I do'," the Empress said.

Lance snorted. "No chance."

"Say it!" she ordered.

Rolling his eyes, he looked at Donna and forced out, "I do."

"I do," Donna echoed with the same amount of displeasure.

"I…don't," the Empress said, cackling again before ordering. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!"

Rose finally moved but it wasn't by her own doing, and it was far from being pleasant. Her body began to convulse in a burning and dizzying agony at the command, the only sounds she could make out were the far away distorted screams from Donna and Lance. Her insides were twisting in several directions, almost like being stabbed with sharp pins. She could barely hear a faint cackling from the Empress and some words which just came out jumbled and hard to decipher over the sound of her own cries echoing in her ears. It felt like it was lasting an eternity but it was probably only for a couple of minutes. As the lasting tremors shook her insides the world around her began to whirl like she was going down into a drain. A blackness crept up on her and she let her eyes slide shut from her lack of strength.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Of all of the many things that the Doctor could wish could not only be easily forgotten, but literally obliterated from his mind, the one very thing he'd wished would fade out would be the heart wrenching sight of Rose convulsing in pain and the piercing sounds of her screams.

After quickly heading back to the chamber, while trying to break down the exact steps of his plan, he donned a robot Santa disguise complete with the cloak and mask and ran up to a stairway leading to a railing. But the moment he stepped foot into the room his hearts clenched tight in his chest. Rose's painful cries were enough to drive him over the edge right then and there, his blood curdling in his veins as they echoed in his ears. But he had to be patient—though it was hanging loosely by a thread just waiting to unravel completely.

The particles removed themselves easily—albeit still painfully—from both Donna and Lance, but for Rose it was more of a challenge, and far worse. Since she took in the Heart of the TARDIS and became the Bad Wolf a part of Her connected with Rose and stuck, which led to a possibility the Doctor had thought would never be, something he only dreamed of happening. But those fantastical dreams wouldn't be proven to be an actuality until he dealt with the Racnoss issue at hand. The Empress caused Rose pain, and that reminder ultimately took whatever patience he had left and chucked it away. She lay motionless on the ground still alive, just breathing slowly while his own breaths came out ragged. As usual his morality fought with his fury. He still had to offer the Empress a chance to leave peacefully.

For his sake—and everyone else's—she had better accept his offer, because knowing exactly what he was capable of doing, nothing would stop the Oncoming Storm from unleashing its full wrath.

A distant shout from Donna brought him back as he snapped his head up to watch as Lance plummeted down into the deep hole. "Harvest the humans!" the Empress shouted. "Reduce them to meat." The Doctor stood on the stairs waiting. Any moment now he would reveal himself. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" she continued. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man," she added with a hiss.

Ah. Letting out a sigh he turned and removed the disguise, discarding it to the side. "Oh, well. Nice try." In a flash he held up a sonic to the web and untangled Donna's restraints. "I've got you, Donna!" he called.

"I'm gonna fall!" Donna screamed fearfully.

"You're gonna swing!" he assured. The webbing loosened and she held onto it tight. "I've got ya!" She shrieked as she swung down over the hole coming towards him. The Doctor held his arms out ready to catch her…and she missed him as she hit the wall just under him with a thud and fell to the floor on her back. He peered over the railing. "…Oh. Sorry."

"Thanks for nothing," she said flatly from the ground.

"The doctor-man amuses me," the Empress said with a raspy chuckle.

"Donna, go check on Rose," he called down to her before turning back to the Empress, hardening his voice. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

"These men are so funny," the Empress replied.

"What's your answer?"

"Oh…I'm afraid I have to decline," she cackled.

So be it. She brought this upon herself when she planned this whole thing out, but she really sealed the deal when she hurt Rose. "What happens next is your own doing," he said scarily calm as the Oncoming Storm was starting to come over him. Now she would feel pain, he would make sure of it.

"I'll show you what happens next," she hissed back. "At arms!" The robot Santas obeyed her commands. "Take aim!" They all pointed their guns towards him. "And—"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly. At his word the Santas went limp and shut off completely.

Donna was kneeling beside Rose and checking to make sure she was okay when she noticed the robots deactivating. "What did you do?" she called up to him.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" He held up a remote and gave it a little shake. "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?"

"They're bigger on the inside."

"Robo-forms are not necessary," the Empress rasped. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars," the Doctor told her.

"Then where?"

"My home planet is far away and long since gone, but its name lives on." He paused for a second before saying the name. "Gallifrey."

The Empress hissed in anger. "They _murdered_ the Racnoss!"

"I warned you. You did this." His voice was cold and dark as he pulled out a handful of baubles from his pocket.

"No!" the Empress shrieked. "No! Don't! No!"

The Doctor threw them into the air one by one and directed them with the remote. Some whirred around the Empress as she began to panic before speeding down the corridors, exploding as they smashed into the walls and letting in the raging water from the Thames. Another bauble exploded, causing a fire to to blaze up near the Empress.

As the water flooded into the chamber and down into the hole, she cried, "My children!"

Donna watched from the ground in horror at what was being displayed. The Empress bellowed and cried for her children as water rained down on top of them and poured around their feet. She glanced up at the Doctor and barely recognized him. Though a blazing fire was shining behind him showering him in its light all she can see was a man with a darkened expression as his eyes were distant and fixed onto the destruction, water streaking down his features. The young, cheery man she had seen almost all day had disappeared and was replaced by one of anger and darkness. He may have looked young but for a short moment something flicked in his eyes, something…old and ancient.

As the water raged Donna lifted Rose up to get her on her feet, but the poor girl was still unconscious and was deadweight. She turned back to the blonde and inspected her face. "C'mon wake up, Rose," Donna said as she shook her in her arms. "Wake up, Martian girl!"

The sight of a limp Rose in Donna's arms snapped the Doctor back to the present. Glancing back at the Empress his breath hitched slightly as he watched her writh in the water crying for her children. He was endangering everyone in this room—Donna, himself and of course Rose. He had to stop.

He braced himself as he leaped over the railing and landed firmly on the ground. Picking himself up he ran over to the women, his stomach swooping when he saw Rose coming back to consciousness. He placed a hand on her cheek and brushed the drops of water from her face as it rained over them.

"Come on!" he yelled over the mayhem around them. "Time I got you both out of here!" He took Rose in his arms and began to lead them to the stairs.

"Doctor," she said weakly. "'M fine, I can run."

"Welcome back," he said with a grin as he let her down and grabbed her hand as they charged up the stairs with Donna directly behind.

They made it back to the corridors and came across the door with the ladder leading up to the Thames flood barrier. He pushed both of them up the ladder with him following.

Donna, who was the first one climbing up, called down to him. "But what about the Empress?"

"She's used up all her Huon energy, she's defenseless!" the Doctor answered.

Once she made it to the top, Donna saw how little room there was and cautiously stood a little to the side so the others could come up. Rose popped up next and sat down at the edge of the opening with her legs dangling in the hole. The Doctor was right behind her as he reached them and remained on the ladder. Looking up, the Racnoss web starship was drifting in the sky before being blown up by cannon strikes.

The three of them triumphantly cheered, Rose throwing her arms around the Doctor's neck and embracing him. She pulled back slightly to capture his lips in a celebratory victory snog, his arms wrapping around her waist as he balanced himself on top of the ladder while she sat at the edge.

Donna laughed breathlessly at everything that had just happened. "Just…there's one problem," she finally said.

Both the Doctor and Rose broke the kiss. "What's that?" he asked.

Donna turned to them with a small smile. "We've drained the Thames." With that they fell into another laughing fit.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Once they made it back to the TARDIS Donna sat down on the jump seat as the Doctor set in the coordinates for her home in Chiswick. Rose was feeling more like herself, for the most part. The fact that she still had remnants of the Heart of the TARDIS was both frightening and for some reason…exiting. A part of her just wanted to leap in the air with joy, though she really didn't know why. The Doctor had said that she was fine and it wasn't harmful. Had he known all this time that she still had it within her?

She stood beside him at the console and noticed a sudden shift in his eyes and stature, suddenly seeming tense. Was it because he realized that he hadn't removed all of the particles from her system and now he blamed himself, or did he do something regretful while she was unconscious? Before she blacked out she remembered writhing on the chamber floor by the hole in pain as the particles in her body tried to pull out of her. When she finally woke up the entire chamber was flooding with raging waters, fires, explosions and the sound of the Empress's cries.

Knowing the Doctor he must have done something darkly in a way he had never wanted to initiate. She could only imagine the Oncoming Storm unleashed from its cage after scratching the surface just waiting to come out. Now he looked regretful.

Rose placed a hand on his arm, getting him to face her. She could see the darkness churning behind his chocolate eyes but he still offered her a small smile. That was what he did the best—hide everything that ate up at his insides behind happiness and manic energy. He shouldn't have to keep all of that locked inside, not since they shattered the barriers of their relationship. They've waited so long to get to this point just holding everything back—they promised not to anymore. He may not have showed her the deep wounds and darkness from his past, but they were moving steadily one step at a time.

With her hand still rested on his arm she gave a gentle squeeze and gave a brief nod. She understood and forgave him even if he didn't realize it. The Doctor looked down at her hand and placed his opposite one on top of it before bringing his eyes back to hers. He knew she did, but still looked uncertain.

In no time the TARDIS materialized outside of Donna's home. She stepped out to the solid ground while the Doctor and Rose stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"There we go," he said cheerfully, tapping the side with his opposite hand. "Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

"More than I've done," Donna said, shrugging unhappily.

The Doctor released his hold on Rose for a moment to take out the sonic and gave Donna a quick scan. "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

She turned to Rose. "What about you, Rose? You feel all right?"

"I'm fine," Rose assured with a nod, feeling the Doctor tense up beside her. "Like the Doctor said, my situation was a lot different than yours, but I'm okay now. Even better knowing you're all right."

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

Rose let out a small laugh. "If it makes you feel any better," she nodded her head towards the Doctor, "this one blew up my job on the first day we met, too." Donna chuckled, then Rose's expression saddened. "I'm so sorry about Lance."

"I couldn't save him," the Doctor added sadly.

Donna waved it off, her face hardening. "He deserved it."

"You don't mean that," Rose said softly. As much as she herself hated the man he still shouldn't have died the way she was told he did.

Her face softened. "No…I don't." She glanced back at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

They watched as her parents embraced each other by a table."Best Christmas present they could have," the Doctor said, before adding with a small smile. "Oh no, I forgot—you hate Christmas."

Rose turned to Donna with shock. "Really?"

"Yes, I do," Donna said, chuckling softly.

The Doctor released his arm from around Rose's waist to lean back and flip a switch inside the door of the TARDIS. "Even if it snows?"

Suddenly a ball of light shot out of the lamp at the top of the TARDIS and exploded in the sky like a firework, turning into snow. Rose and Donna's faces lit up at the snowflakes dancing around them and laughed happily.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna cried.

"You never said the TARDIS can make it snow!" Rose laughed.

The Doctor looked up at the sky. "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," he said nonchalantly before lowering his head to their gaze with a soft grin.

"You're still full of surprises," Rose chuckled. A happy sound came from his throat as wrapped his arm back around her waist.

Donna kept her soft smile and flitted her eyes between them. "Merry Christmas," she said.

The Doctor smiled. "And you."

"So…what will you do with yourself now?" Rose asked.

Donna let out a sigh, still wearing the soft smile. "Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno…travel…see a bit more of planet Earth…walk in the dust. Just…go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always…" Rose trailed off, looping her finger in one of her earrings.

"What?"

"…Come with us," the Doctor finished.

Donna smiled lightly and shook her head. "No."

"Okay," he nodded quickly, his gaze dropping to the ground.

"I can't…"

"No, that's fine," he insisted, waving it off.

"No, but really…everything we did today…do you two live your lives like that?"

They both hesitated for a second before Rose said defensively. "Not all the time."

"I think you do," Donna said gently. "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there," the Doctor tried to reason. "It's beautiful."

"And it's terrible," Donna said shaking her head, "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you…" she paused for a second. "Were stood there like…I don't know. A stranger. And then you made it snow," she let out a small laugh. "I mean, you scare me to death!"

Rose felt the Doctor stiffen next to her and hold her waist tighter when a short moment of silence hung between them. Now she knew why he seemed off after they escaped. She brought her hand to rest on his back and rubbed small circles, which made him relax a bit.

"Well then," he finally said quietly.

"Tell you what I will do though—Christmas dinner." Donna offered with a smile. Rose bit her lip and the Doctor sensed her tension. "Oh, come on," she urged.

The Doctor figured Rose might not be up for another Christmas right now judging by her hesitation, and he understood. They may have visited the Christmas planet and celebrated the holiday for almost a week in the TARDIS by themselves, but it would be the first time they'd celebrate without her mother in this universe. Just hours ago she said goodbye to her for the very last time, she was still grieving. She didn't need anymore now.

"We…we don't do that sort of thing," he said gently.

"You did it last year! You said so," Donna reminded. "And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"No, we really have things to sort out." It may not have been a decent excuse, but it's all he could give.

Rose finally spoke. "Thank you for the offer, Donna, really," she said with a soft smile. She walked over to the woman and hugged her. "It's been nice meeting you," she pulled back went back over to the Doctor.

Donna looked like she was about to protest again, but accepted it and nodded.

They both smiled before heading back into the TARDIS. Donna turned to go back home, but when the TARDIS began to leave she shouted. "Doctor! Rose!"

The ship became solid again, then Rose opened the door giggling while the Doctor stuck his head out. "Blimey, you can shout."

"Am I ever going to see you two again?"

He smiled. "If we're lucky."

"Just promise me one thing, Doctor," she pointed to Rose, "Don't you dare let go of that girl."

The Doctor smirked. "Had no intentions to." He glanced down at the lovely blonde, "I made a promise," he said quietly.

"Good, because you need someone to stop you, Doctor." She flitted her eyes between the two. "You both have something special, I can see it. Like I said before, a blind person can see it!" Rose laughed before Donna finished. "You two need each other. Don't let go of each other."

"Thank you, Donna," Rose said.

"Even better," Donna took off the bio-damper her finger and tossed it back to the Doctor. "One day you should give her a reason to wear one of those, and I don't mean a bio…whatever, I mean a proper ring."

Rose couldn't stop herself from laughing as the Doctor's eyes widened and his brows hit his hairline. That was an interesting thought.

"Yeah," he finally said quietly before returning to his chipper tone. "Thanks then, Donna. Good luck," he started to go back in before peeking out again. "And just…be magnificent."

Donna gave a small chuckle. "I think I will, thanks." They both smiled again as they went back in the TARDIS and shot into the sky.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

After leaving Donna Noble to her family Rose noted how unusually quiet the Doctor was. He stood at the console and flicked over random controls while she sat behind him on jump seat. For a moment she thought he wasn't even breathing but she saw his back moving slightly. She knew exactly why he was quiet—he was wallowing in his regret again. Being with him long enough allowed her to be able to read him a little more easily but like she said before, underneath all of that bouncing energy was a man haunted by his demons. For so long he's beaten himself over his faults and it pained her, even more so since he's been doing it alone for a while. But she was here to stay with him, and she can take some of that pain away.

"Doctor," she said quietly, which sounded a lot louder given that the entire room was silent except for the time rotor.

"Hm?" He stayed in the same position, facing the console and pressing buttons.

She hesitated before asking him something when she already knew what his answer would be. Still, she asked anyway. "You all right?"

Then came the usual answer always said with nonchalance: "I'm always all right."

Rose shook her head. "No, Doctor, you're not," she said firmly. "I can tell when you're overthinking things or beatin' yourself up over something that you did, and I want you to stop it."

His hands stilled on the console, then after a moment he started to fiddle with them again. Rose sighed at him and stood up from the seat to place a hand on his back. She felt his body tense up at her touch, but she kept it there and rubbed the spot. "Doctor, I know you feel guilty about what you did, but you can't—"

"I drowned children," he said with a grim voice that sent a chill down her spine. "_Children_, Rose. I wiped out an entire race," he let out a mirthless chuckle, "_Again_."

"You did what you had to—"

"No," he cut in softly. The Doctor lowered his head and turned it off to the side, probably so she wouldn't get to look him in the eye. She heard him swallow hard and leaned closer and saw the muscles of his jaw twitching before stiffening. "I lost myself, Rose. I became a monster. All I wanted was for her the Empress to suffer so cruelly that I didn't even care about anything else." He let out a breath and turned to face her. "I wanted her to feel pain far worse than what she caused you."

Closing his eyes for a moment and turning his head away the images played out in his mind like a movie reel, so detailed with every movement and every sound: Rose writhing on the ground in agonizing pain as the particles tried to extract themselves from her insides, the blood curdling cries escaping her throat when it proved not to be working, the maniacal cackling from the Empress as she stood by enjoying the scene as sadistic as it was, and the sight of an unconscious Rose laying helplessly and unceremoniously on the ground. Over and over they came back to him and made his skin crawl.

He shivered when he felt Rose place a gentle hand on the side of his cheek and bring him back to face her. Slowly opening his eyes he was greeted with her own, wide and softening as she studied him. Inhaling a shaky breath he held it in as he spoke, his voice quiet.

"The sight of you suffering like that made me snap and lose what little sanity I had left. I was so close to blowing my cover sooner. And to top it all off I endangered your life by almost drowning you in the process." His eyes downcast. "We already narrowly missed being separated and I almost lost you again." He brought his eyes back up to hers, placing a hand on her wrist as she held his face. "I almost broke my promise because I broke inside. Rassilon knows what would've happened if I hadn't snapped back. I could've been the one responsible for…" he trailed off and sighed. "Is all this really worth it?" He asked quietly.

Rose brought her other hand up to fully cup his face and he turned his body away from the console. She could clearly see how distant his eyes were, dark and solemn. "I know that you hate the way you handled the situation, maybe it was all a bit extreme, but you don't have to dwell on it all by yourself." He opened his mouth but she silenced him with a finger and kept it there. "Don't you say otherwise. We both made the promise, Doctor—together. When we finally opened up to each other back on Noel I told you that you wouldn't have to carry all that pain inside alone anymore because I'm here with you. I always will be. I promised you forever and I have all intentions of keeping it.

"And you're definitely not a _monster._ A monster is someone who destroys things out of sheer enjoyment and lives off of the pain of others for their own sick needs while trying to please their egotistical tendencies." She tilted her head and squinted one of her eyes. "While you do have an ego it's all for the good and brilliance and anything but evil." She smiled when a chuckle escaped from his nose. "Just because you have demons inside doesn't mean they define you fully. Nobody's perfect, and that's what makes you right. Understanding those imperfections and faults means you're ready to move on and fight—like a hero. That's what you are, Doctor, a hero. Even though you never believe it, you are to me. The amount of lives you've saved outweighs the ones who unfortunately couldn't make it.

"Also for the record, you still came back to save me and Donna in the midst of all the madness, just like every other time. You show how much you care constantly—you burned up a Sun just so I could say goodbye to my mum!" She lowered her head for a moment before lifting her eyes back up to his. "I know we came close to losing each other, but that's what happen in our lives. The universe keeps trying to split us up but they never will no matter how hard they try. And yes, this," she took her hand off his cheek and gestured between them, "This is definitely still worth it. Do you still think it is, Doctor?"

A small smile grazed his lips as he pressed a soft kiss to her fingertip still over his mouth. He raised a hand to grasp her hand in his and nodded. "Oh yes. I swore to you I'd protect you with my lives and I'll be damned if I were to break that promise." He placed his fingers on her chin and tilted her head up. "You're never gonna stop making me better, are you?" He asked softly.

Rose smiled wide. "Never ever." The Doctor brought her close and held her tight, placing a kiss to her hair before burying his face in the crook of her neck. They stayed that way for a while until he finally pulled back. "Doctor, is it okay that I don't wanna celebrate Christmas right now? I mean, it feels odd with…without Mum around and…"

He shook his head. "Nah, there's nothing wrong with it. You can celebrate it when you're ready." He scratched his sideburn. "Weeell, we did plenty of celebrating at Noel and after we left Noel, so it's fine that we take a break."

She grinned. "Kay. Still wanna check me out in the medbay?"

"Yes. You've been lightheaded and sick almost all day, not to mention you've still got particles from the TARDIS inside of you, which would explain those symptoms." He inclined his head and studied her. "But you need to rest."

"Doctor, I'm fine." She fought back a yawn, but the Doctor noticed and raised his brows. "Shut up," she said.

He snickered at her and booped her nose. "Thought you loved your bed?"

She lightly pushed him. "I do but I thought you were so eager to make sure I wouldn't burn up."

"Rose, I assure you that you won't burn," he said holding her arms, "From what I've seen and scanned, they're stable and harmless. We can check them out after you've rested."

"Are those 'Doctor's Orders,' then?" she grinned cheekily.

"Yep! Now you better get to bed, missy."

"Yes, sir," she teased, before reaching down to take his hands in hers. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course," he said sincerely. "Just don't hog the covers this time."

"Oi!" She smacked his arm and he laughed.

Walking hand in hand, they made it to their bedroom and changed. Rose threw on her sleeveless pink vest over her tank top and her black trousers, while the Doctor removed his jacket and tie, leaving his light blue Oxford on and rolling up the sleeves. She lifted up the duvet and slid underneath as the Doctor toed off his trainers and joined her, bringing an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. Within minutes she fell fast asleep in his arms.

When Rose would wake up, he would take her to the medbay to check on the particles inside of her. Once the checkup would be completed the results could very well lead to new possibilities to their new beginning—no, their _new,_ new beginning—and for their future.

* * *

**Wow, this was longer than I thought lol :D**

**Just a random note, the song "My Demons" by Starset came on my Pandora station while I wrote parts of this, and it's a perfect song for the Doctor. Yeah, not really important, just felt like mentioning it xD**


	5. Metamorphosis

**A/N: A short _*important*_ chapter right before we meet Martha. There'll be some of these in between the episode chapters just so we can get a closer look at what's going on in the TARDIS with our lovely travelers and how their relationship pans out.**

**As always many thanks to all the reviewed, followed and faved! You all brighten my day :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Metamorphosis**_

Rose had been awake for about five minutes already but decided to keep her eyes closed and just remained under the covers, all comfortable and cozy while wrapped in her cocoon and in the Doctor's warm embrace. Ever since she and the Doctor had begun to share his bed her sleeping had gotten better. Normally she would jolt out whenever a nightmare disturbed her peaceful slumber and scream for him if it was really bad, then he'd stay with her in her room until she fell back to sleep. Now she had never slept better in her life.

After the events of yesterday the Doctor was right when he said some rest would do her good. She had said her last goodbye to her mother in the parallel world by sending a projection of herself through a tiny crack in the universe while orbiting around a supernova. Right after that a woman in a wedding dress named Donna somehow transported herself onto the TARDIS while in-flight. Turns out she had been dosed with the same particles found in the TARDIS—and apparently still in Rose—and was being used by the man she was about to marry who worked for an alien spider that was trying to bring back her children in the center of the Earth.

Sleep was definitely a priority and she honestly didn't want to get out of bed just yet.

Surprisingly the Doctor hadn't even tried to get her out. Usually whenever he would try to wake Rose up and get her out of bed he would yell for her get out of her blanket cocoon, bounce on her bed with his manic enthusiasm like an excited puppy or, if she really didn't budge at all, resort to drastic measures and attack her with tickling. But ever since they took that giant leap in their relationship he's been using different methods. Granted he would still use the other ways whenever he wanted to, but he's been taking more gentle approaches to get her out of bed.

Right now though, he wasn't initiating any method of getting her up and out.

He was still in the bed spooning her from behind with an arm wrapped securely around her waist and his chest pressed against her back, the double rhythm of his hearts vibrating through her body. She felt his steady breaths puff out on the back of her neck and tickling her skin as he nuzzled her hair with his nose. Rose was unsure whether or not he was actually sleeping. With him being a Time Lord he didn't require the same amount of sleep as humans, he would usually just take a quick kip for about an hour before he walking around the TARDIS and tinker with stuff. But he does sometimes take longer naps if he needs to, just not as often.

Lowering her covers and turning around in his arms slowly, she was greeted with a pair of warm chocolate eyes gazing down at her with an equally warm smile spread on his lips. His arm was still holding her waist firmly while he bent his other at the elbow to prop his head on his hand. Rose smiled at him. "Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he said softly, "Sleep well?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, feel a lot better now. You were right, a rest was just what I needed."

The Doctor lifted his chin up slightly. "Aren't I usually always right?"

She arched a brow. "No."

His smug expression turned to mock exasperation. "Oi!" He lifted his hand from its resting place on her hip and tickled her ribs with his forefinger, causing her to yelp and him to grin. Rose began to laugh which led to him joining her and not easing up his action. His finger moved up to tickle her armpit and she couldn't restrain herself. He stopped when she swatted his hand away and placed it firmly back on her hip, brushing over the soft skin with his thumb.

Rose laid her head back on her pillow and looked up at him. His light blue Oxford was opened slightly, giving her a small glimpse of his chest. "How long've you been awake?"

"A while."

"I figured. Just patiently waiting for me?"

"Yes."

"Don't you ever get bored?"

The Doctor lightly shrugged his shoulder. "Nah, with a mind as big as mine? That's impossible. I think of a great deal of things."

Rose mirrored his position and leaned her head on her hand. "Whatcha thinking about now?"

He squinted one of his eyes as he raised them to the ceiling. "Weeell," he drawled. "Earlier l thought of an extremely long and complicated equation and worked out how to solve it. Then I thought about going back to the banana grove on Villengard and stock up on supplies."

Rose snorted. "I still can't believe you destroyed a factory to plant a banana grove, but then again that really is something you'd do."

"Not just _any_ factory, it was a 51st century weapons factory. No harm in fixing it up by planting in something of good use and source of potassium." He leaned in closer with a serious expression and arched his brows. "Bananas are _good_, Rose."

She laughed at him. "Always finding an opportunity to say that."

"Well, it true, isn't it?"

"Hmmm…I guess so," she teased.

He grinned and made that happy sound in his throat before leaning down to kiss her softly. Rose removed brought a hand up to his cheek and stroked his sideburn gently with her nails. The Doctor hummed before she angled his face and deepened the kiss with a small flick of her tongue at his entrance. Reciprocating with equal fervor, he lowered his arm from propping his head up and leaned into her touch, pushing her slightly down on her back to rest her head on the pillow. Rose moaned softly as his tongue met hers slowly stroke for stroke, cupping his face before massaging his scalp.

With tender fingers the Doctor lightly caressed the soft skin of her hip, rotating in small tight circles and lines of his declaration to her in his home script before lining a path up along her ribs until he reached the bottoms of both her vest and tank top that had ridden up. He hesitated and stilled his hand. Was he scared that they were going too far too fast? This was always as far as they got—passionate kissing and light skin contact. They never went further than that though, possibly because everything was still new and fresh and didn't want to rush things if they weren't ready. Of course the tension between the two of them was undeniable. Two years worth of bottled up feelings of mutual love. But there was no need to rush things. They just took it one step at a time.

The Doctor splayed his hand across the small of Rose's back and slid it up her spine underneath her shirts, grazing her skin lightly with his nails. He stopped just below the hooks of her bra and made his way back down, repeating the motion and ultimately sending electricity through their bodies. Rose let out another moan before they both pulled back to breathe and rested their foreheads together. The Doctor shifted a bit and placed a light kiss to the tip of her nose.

Rose chuckled breathlessly and brought one of her hands down on his chest between both hearts. "I'm guessing you thought about that for a while too, yeah?"

He chuckled out of his nose and lifted his forehead from hers to look her better in the eyes. "I have." One of his brows arched. "You know you still sleep entirely too much?"

"That's not my fault that I'm a human," she said.

"Maybe but Rose, you sleep the equivalent of a hibernating bear."

"I don't sleep _that_ much."

He shook his head. "No, no, you're right. Definitely a lot _more_ than that."

"Oh really?" she playfully swatted his chest. "Did you figure that out while I was sleeping, then?"

"Not really, but I can make some calculations for that another time," he gave her a lopsided grin before leaning down for a quick kiss. "Right now I need to do some tests on you."

Rose groaned with indifference. Yesterday she was so anxious to know exactly the particles were doing to her body. Though she still felt that way a wave of uneasiness came over her to where she feared the facts. Were they killing her and she didn't even realize? That kind of truth would definitely not hold up to her right now. Not only that she was certainly not ready to leave this. Yes, they did this quite a lot, but she loved getting lost in these amazing moments.

"Doctor, I told you I'm fine. My head isn't cloudy and my stomach feels normal."

"I'm happy to know that you're feeling better, but I still need to check to see how stable the particles in your system are," he replied.

She paused. "Have you always known that they were still some inside me and didn't say?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I've had a feeling that there could be some still lingering around your insides, but I always brushed it aside. I was sure I pulled out every speck of the Vortex, but…apparently I miscalculated. What's inside you now is the residual energy, just a smattering."

"Am I gonna burn, Doctor?"

He swallowed as he studied her. "I don't fully know, but I don't think you would. The only way to find out is by running tests."

She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her eyes. The Doctor knew that she was probably scared about finding out they were still within her body when he told her that he extracted them all, but if his thoughts were certain she should still be safe, and the results could prove to be a fantastical miracle and dream for the both of them.

The Doctor took her hand away from her eyes and brushed his thumb over the backs of her knuckles. "Rose, I assure you that you'll be fine. I know you're afraid of what they're doing to your system, but whatever happens I'll do all that I can to help you."

Rose looked like she was about say something else but instead nodded. They both untangled themselves from each other and got dressed then went down to the medbay.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Rose sat patiently on the bed in the medbay with her legs swaying as they dangled off the edge waiting for the Doctor to finish reading the scans. He stood hunched over in front of a large screen and studied the results. All she could see was his gravity defying hair peeking over the top and his eyes full of intense concentration with his glasses perched on his nose. She was nervous and a little afraid of what the scans would show but she felt a small joyful feeling in the back of her mind.

"Oh," she heard the Doctor quietly breathe out finally, his brows rising to his hairline.

Her insides began to shake. What was he reading? Was it good or bad? She gripped the edge of the bed tightly fearing the worst possible outcomes from this. Her nerves hadn't calmed down any when the Doctor removed his glasses and straightened up to his full height and his hands buried in his trouser pockets. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the screen. _Oh God_.

The suspense was killing her, she couldn't take not knowing. If something was wrong with her then she needed to know. "Well…? Doctor, what's it say?"

She saw his tongue pop out and wet his bottom lip, eyes still fixed on the screen. After a moment he hummed low then turned his head to her, his mouth slightly parted. "Oh, Rose."

He sounded far too quiet, which meant this was bad.

Rose stared at him cautiously. Her stomach wasn't coping with her now and she felt like crying. They promised each other that they'd cherish every waking moment of their time together, but she feared that it was now cut short. She failed him. Her face turned to one of pure confusion when a wide grin suddenly crept on his lips. A breathless laugh escaped from him as he sauntered over to the bed to stand in front of her, placing his hands on either sides of her face and pulling her in for a kiss. Her eyes widened in shock.

_What the hell?_

The kiss was brief as he pulled back, the smile still splitting his face while she just stared at him with a lost expression. "Um…Doctor?"

"Oh, this is-this is brilliant!" he exclaimed.

Rose still stared at him, but sounded a little hopeful at his enthusiasm. "So…I'm not gonna burn up, then?"

"That's not all you won't be doing," he replied with a small laugh. He darted back to the screen to explain the results. "You see, Huon energy is ancient and powerful, it can mutate and unravel atom structures and, well, it technically _did_, just not to the point where drastic repercussions would occur. The particles that were inside of Donna were being manufactured by the water, and not as powerful as the kind found back on Gallifrey or in the TARDIS. She recognized them, yes, because they're relatively similar, but they weren't all fully the same."

"Really?"

"Now, when you looked into Her Heart and took in the Time Vortex the way you did, your genetics evolved dramatically—well, I shouldn't say it like that. More like rapidly, yes that's it, like pressing the fast forward button, so to speak. Your DNA is still human, sort of. It's actually more similar to TNA structure like mine, with a third helix and some extra strands and everything. Your cells are replicating at an incredible rate. So basically the Huon energy slightly unraveled your DNA and allowed it to integrate with your system. Oh, that's just amazing!"

Rose blinked once, trying her best to fully understand what he just said. "So…are you saying that…that I'll be all right then?"

The Doctor lifted his head from the screen. "_All right?_ Rose Tyler, you're definitely a _lot_ more than that," he exclaimed. "From what I can tell by these results is that your healing abilities have rapidly increased and much more effective," he nodded at her, "Take a look at your hand," he told her. She did as he told and inspected her left hand. Her burn marks on her knuckles were gone. Flipping it over to her palm she saw the same thing—healed skin. They may not have been too serious but she should still have some faint scar of some kind visible, but it looked as if she hadn't even hurt herself.

Still stunned Rose lifted her gaze back to the Doctor who was smirking. "That's the energy," he said then continued to explain, "You're connected with the TARDIS, Rose. The residual energy that's left inside you melded together with your human DNA and made it more. To any normal human being those burns you sustained yesterday when the console exploded should have scarred for about two weeks, and another week for the color to return to normal. But not you, you're so much more, Rose."

He chuckled for a second, "I've always thought you were more than ordinary—well, there is no such thing as an _ordinary_ human, but you're in a standalone category. You're a Human 2.0! Can survive a lot of things that would be too severe or life-threatening that would be issues to average humans. Well, of course not _everything, _for example gunshot or knife wounds in certain places, so please be careful," he gave a lopsided grin, "Anything's possible with you. But besides that it appears that you won't age anytime soon. You'll be living for a very, very long time—a lifetime extremely close to matching my own," he finished softly.

Rose's mouth was agape and her mind couldn't get her to register any words. She had thought these particles were deadly and were killing her insides, but instead it turns out they were doing the opposite and _extending_ her life. Not aging and not dying anytime soon were aces in her book, but the real clincher to all of this was that she could live happily with the Doctor for many years, centuries even! This was all so much to take in and so overwhelming that their chance of forever was now definite.

No words could do justice to describe exactly how the Doctor felt after finding this out. All of his lives he had wondered why the universe had cursed him countless times, and for once they had gave him a gift—no, they gave _them_ a gift. The opportunity to have forever together. What was an impossible dream had turned into a blessing, a miracle. And he wouldn't waste it for the world.

He turned away from the screen and walked back over to the bed where she still sat, his hands reaching for hers. She must have been letting everything sink in just as he was, but he needed to hear what she was thinking. "Say something, Rose."

Instead of saying anything in words, she responded by throwing her arms around his neck with a happy squeal and pressing her lips to him for passionate kiss. That was all response that he needed, and they were his thoughts exactly.


	6. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 1

**A/N: ****Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 1**_

A week passed since they both found out that Rose had an extended lifetime that would ensure her to live as long as the Doctor due to the residual energy from the TARDIS, and since then he's been treating her by taking her to exciting and beautiful planets.

After briefly celebrating when finding out the universe had been kind to them for giving them such a miraculous gift, the Doctor took her to Gresobupp, the largest amusement park planet in the 64th century spanning two galaxies. Its main attraction was a ride called the AeroTrain, which was basically a rollercoaster that flew across the spiral rings surrounding the planet and gave the passengers an amazing view of the dual bending galaxies consisting of colors of green, gold and red. Not only were the rides thrilling but the cotton candy was deliciously and wickedly sweet, and not to her surprise the Doctor got the biggest cones available.

Then he took her to a place with a name so long that she couldn't even remember that was a paradise planet. It reminded Rose of Hawaii but much more vibrant. The landscape looked like that of a watercolor painting splashed with a mixture of warm and cool colors. Much to Rose's pleasure the climate had been warm as well. They had stayed there for about three days and then decided to head off.

The Doctor had mentioned that he had long since wanted to go back to Villengard to check on his banana grove, as well as stock up on them. He told her it's been a while since he's seen it last, but assured her that it was still large and harvested, though he was there only once.

"Oh, look at that! Hasn't changed at all," the Doctor exclaimed as they stepped out of the TARDIS and onto a vast dirt field surrounded by tall trees and bushes. Sure enough there were small bunches of bananas dangling off of the branches waiting to be picked. "No, wait a second," he licked the tip of his forefinger and thrust it in the air. "This is the east end, the smaller patches. The larger bunches are grown on the west. C'mon!" He grabbed a hold of Rose's hand and led her through the twisted pathways of the maze. The second they turned another corner, his face split into a wide grin. "Aw, brilliant! They've grown more and more since the last time I was here."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head at his enthusiasm. He wasn't kidding when he said they were the larger ones. In fact they looked to be the size of her own legs. "How did they get so big?" she asked.

He whipped out his sonic from his jacket pocket. "Special setting for growth, specifically for fruits," he turned the device between his fingers. "Plus after the factory here overloaded and was destroyed-"

"You mean when _you_ destroyed it," Rose cut in with a laugh.

The Doctor shot her an innocent look. "Anywaaaay," he drawled, "When the factory blew up it left behind a certain chemical that expanded widths, lengths—basically like a growth serum—just in this area where they were locked up tight."

"Why have them if they were only to be locked up?"

"They weren't at first, but after someone got their hands on one of them they used it without understanding how to operate it and wound up expelling the chemical onto their head. Blew up to the size of an air balloon! After that incident, the workers thought it best to just keep them contained."

"That makes sense," Rose said. "Wait a minute, Doctor, if the chemical lingers in this area, does that mean our heads'll do the same?"

He turned at her with furrowed brows. "Of course not! It's vented from the air now and only in the soil underneath the trees. Just don't eat the soil and you'll be all right," he said nudging her shoulder as they walked up to one of the trees.

"Good, thanks for the tip. We wouldn't want that to happen."

"Nope! Could you imagine that? Me with a large inflated head."

"You mean one larger than it already is," she teased.

He turned his head, affronted. "Oi! My head is not that big!"

She giggled. "No, but your ego is."

"Ha. Very funny," he commented as he reached up to feel one of the enormous bananas. "Oh, you are beautiful!" He exclaimed as he stroked its bright yellow peel. Rose giggled at him again. Only the Doctor would find absolute beauty out of a plump banana.

Because these ones were extremely huge the Doctor decided to leave them alone and just pick the smaller bunches. Making their way around the maze, they made it back to the east side. Lines of large green trees with bright bananas bordered the dirt trails, inviting them to pick as they please. The Doctor reached in his jacket pocket to pull out two large brown sacks, which was no doubt also bigger on the inside. He allowed Rose to roam freely and pick as many as she could, and that the brighter they were the more delicious and sweeter they were.

They both moved to their own trees, Rose stretching up to pick a few bunches hanging from the lower branches and placed them in her sack before trying to get some of the higher ones that were as yellow as the Sun. It proved to be more of a challenge since she wasn't really that tall. She turned her head to the Doctor who was plucking them off with ease, his height being put to good use. Sighing she reached as far as she could just brushing over the bottoms. Seeing as that wasn't working Rose bent down and jumped as high as she could and grabbed a hold of one of them…but didn't come down.

Pulling with her whole body, the banana wasn't budging as she was hanging in the air. Just as she was about to let go she felt her legs elevate until she was seated. Looking down she saw the Doctor helping by hoisting her up on his shoulders, the sack held tight in one fist as it bulged, and him looking up at her grinning.

"If you needed help you could have asked."

"I was doing fine until this stubborn little bugger refused to come down."

He chuckled. "Just twist them to the right, they'll break off easier."

She followed his instructions and dropped the banana in her sack. Once she finished the Doctor helped her down and carried both of their sacks back to the TARDIS.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

After the Doctor stored away their many bunches of freshly picked bananas, he put the TARDIS in the vortex to drift around while he did some repairs underneath the console. Rose sat on the jump seat with a book in her hand when all of a sudden her stomach growled loudly.

"Blimey, that didn't sound good," the Doctor said from under the console.

"It's all right, Doctor, I'm just hungry," she answered.

"Oh, that was you? I thought it was the TARDIS." She kicked one of his feet that were sticking out and he snickered. "Eat a banana, we've got plenty. Well, probably a lot more than just 'plenty,' but still, we've got loads—no, that's not the right word either—"

She kicked his foot again. "Doctor, I already had one earlier."

"There's nothing wrong with eating another. Good source of potassium."

"I know, but I feel like eating some chips. Can we make a quick stop?"

"Right now?"

"Please?" she asked sweetly, closing her book.

The Doctor made his way out from underneath the console. "All right. I suppose it's only fair since you haven't had any in a while—which is very unlike you," he added with a smile. He stood up and punched in the coordinates for London and flipped the switch.

Rose set her book on the jump seat and stood next to him. "Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead as the TARDIS jerked lightly. Right as they arrived they began walking the streets for the chippy when Rose shivered.

"You're cold," the Doctor assumed.

"No I'm fine, s'just I felt something…strange." she said, twisting her face.

"Like what?"

"Something like, I dunno…static? Like a small shock."

The Doctor looked around them for any clues and looked up at the building they had stopped in front of—the Royal Hope Hospital. He eyed it suspiciously. "Static…could be plasma coils."

"You wanna investigate, don't you?" Rose asked with a small smile.

He winked at her. "We'll have to stay here for a little bit," he told her.

"How long?"

"A few days."

Rose groaned at that as they entered the hospital. They've been wandering around other planets enjoying themselves for a week, but now it's back to business.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"All I wanted was some chips. That's all," Rose muttered as her stomach growled again. It was getting dark outside and she had yet to eat anything. She could have tried the food the hospital had to give, but she wanted something that seemed more edible.

She was alone laying down in a hospital bed and wearing a gown. The Doctor had admitted her in with severe stomach cramps and flashed the psychic paper as proof of insurance. It had to be her as the patient because they couldn't risk the Doctor's physiological differences, specifically his two hearts. He filled out the form and made Rose his wife—Mrs. Smith—because technically speaking Rose Tyler was pronounced dead after Canary Wharf, as made by their doing for less complication. Rose made a little joke about being called 'the Smiths' just like the alternative band from the eighties, which the Doctor thought was clever of her.

An amusing thought came to her from all of this. Just being considered the Doctor's _wife_ was a joy and she inwardly laughed. Though she was going to spend centuries with him she was uncertain if they would ever wed. They really didn't _need_ to since they were already committed to each other, but it didn't matter. Who knows, maybe one day it would happen.

A moment later the Doctor snuck back into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. He noticed Rose watching his every movement. "Oh, you're awake." He had gone off to do some investigating while she was supposed to be sleeping.

"How could I sleep when my stomach is keeping me up?"

"Didn't you try the food?" He pointed at the rolling table with the cover still over the plate and off to the side.

Rose shook her head. "That stuff tastes like rubber, no thanks."

He chuckled as he strode over to the chair beside her bed. "I thought you'd say that, which is why I snuck out and got you these," he spoke quietly and reached into his jacket and pulled out a carton of hot, steaming chips. He put a finger over his lips and shushed before throwing her a wink.

Her face lit up as she took the carton in her hands. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?" She plopped one in her mouth and smiled at him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." The Doctor reached over to steal one of her chips for himself and smiled.

"Ta," she said smiling.

Once Rose finished eating he discarded the evidence in his jacket while she let out a long yawn. Laying back down onto her pillow the Doctor leaned over to kiss her forehead and stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

A pair of soft lips pressing to her own jolted Rose's eyes open and out of her slumber. The Doctor was leaning over her before gently pulling away and stroking her hair. "Sorry to wake you," he said quietly.

She smiled softly. "'S okay, I don't mind. How long did I sleep?"

"About six hours," he answered, "I forgot to mention that you actually don't need as much sleep as the average human anymore now that, well…" He trailed off with a lopsided grin before saying, "Besides I was wandering around again to investigate the coils—which are getting worse by the way—"

Rose groaned. "Of course they are. But then again, something exciting, yeah?"

He chuckled before finishing,"And I noticed a group of medical students making their rounds on this floor, so put on a believable facade of suffering from abdominal pain when they come in."

Rose chuckled and took his hand. "Only if you pull it off as the concerned husband."

His eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so thick! I almost forgot…" he reached in his jacket and pulled out a golden ring. "This is not a bio-damper," he took her hand and slipped it on her finger, "With this ring, I thee pretend wed," he smirked before placing a soft kiss to the ring.

"For better or worse," Rose said smiling. She observed the band when she saw scripture written on it. Bringing her hand closer she inspected the writing and noticed that it was in Gallifreyan. She looked back over to him and seen his ears turn pink.

"Ehm…I hope you don't mind, but I engraved that myself," he tugged his earlobe and cleared his throat, "I, um…is that all right?"

Rose looked at the band again. "What's it say?"

He swallowed and answered softly, "'My beloved Rose', as well as my declaration to you. Well, the whole one. For humans the feelings can't fully be described, so I figured you have to look the part and I made you a ring for the facade." He paused for a second. "I mean, I've already told you how I feel, well not fully, but in the way humans say it—"

She silenced him with a finger on his lips and chuckled. "It's perfect, Doctor." When he smiled back at her she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I already know how you feel and I wouldn't want it any other way. This whole thing may be an act but I know for a fact these words aren't." He gave her the ring for his finger and she slid it on with ease, also placing a kiss to it.

As if on cue the man called Dr. Stoker came up with a small group of med students as they entered their room. "Now then, Mrs. Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?" Stoker asked.

Rose clutched her stomach with the hand not holding the Doctor's and grimaced slightly. "A little better than yesterday but still feeling a bit, you know…blah." The Doctor turned his head to the side to cover up his grin. His brilliant Rose was a convincing hospital patient. Of course she took after him after watching him fake through incidents.

Stoker turned to the students and addressed them. "Rose Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains," he looked over at one of his students, "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The young black woman called Jones was beautiful and looked to be around the same age as Rose. She stepped forward and eyed her warily. "Not a wise idea to run outside for chips, was it?"

Rose looked at her confused. "Sorry?"

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and offered me a chip," she said.

The Doctor snorted. "Rose, did you sneak out to the chippy while I went down to the cafeteria? I didn't know you were _that_ hungry."

Before Rose could respond, Jones pointed at him. "You were there, too."

Now it was his turn to be confused. "What?"

"Yeah, you took off your tie."

"Really? What did I do that for?" the Doctor asked.

Jones shook her head. "I don't know, you just did."

"Well, it wasn't us. Rose has been sleeping in bed and I've been by her side the entire time. Ask the nurses," he informed her.

The student still eyed them. "Well that's weird, 'cause they seriously looked like you two. Have you got a brother and a sister?"

"Nope," the Doctor answered and squeezed Rose's hand. "Just us."

"As time passes, I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Stoker spoke up.

"Sorry," she said. "Right." Jones took out her stethoscope and held it to Rose's chest to listen to her heartbeat.

"I weep for further generations," Stoker sighed dramatically from the side. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um, no," she said shyly, moving down to Rose's stomach. "Is there a chance that you may be pregnant?"

"Definitely not," Rose said confidently.

They hadn't even initiated that physical stage in their relationship yet, and even if they already have, he already informed her that because her DNA had adjusted to the Huon energy the possibility of them conceiving a child would still be a very slim chance. However, after some discussions they thought it best to not make such a complicating decision. Given their lifestyle it wasn't really the ideal environment for upbringing a child, and it would only add more to the chaos.

Jones nodded. "Okay then…stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Stoker commented. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart," he picked up the chart but snapped his hand back when he received a small shock, dropping it on the bed.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," a male student said.

"And me, on the lift," said another student, a female.

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance. He had said that the plasma coils were getting worse, and it seemed it would only continue.

"That's only to be expected," Stoker said confidently. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…anyone?"

No one answered. "Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor popped his head up and chirped happily.

"Correct!"

"My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half," he shook his head with nostalgic wonder on his face. He turned to Rose, "Have I ever told you about that time, Rose? I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked—"

Stoker eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Quite…"

"And then I got electrocuted! Still surprising that I didn't lose my hair," the Doctor finished.

"I should be grateful that you didn't," Rose laughed. "You know how much I love your hair." She raised a hand to ruffle his mane and he giggled.

"Moving on," Stoker interrupted as he turned back to the students and said quietly, though the Doctor and Rose heard him, "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric for Mr. Smith. And next we have…"

The moment they were left alone again they burst into laughter. "Nice one, Doctor. Now they think you're a nutter!" Rose paused then added, "Though it's not hard to miss."

The Doctor smirked and booped her nose. "And yet you still stayed with me. Obviously you're nuttier than me." She swatted his arm and he stood up from his chair. "I'm gonna do some more snooping around. These coils are worsening by the minute."

"Okay, but don't go takin' your ties off at people," she joked.

"Only if you don't sneak out to the chippy," he retorted as he winked at her before leaving.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

While the Doctor was poking around the hospital investigating the plasma coils Rose sat up in the bed and read her book she had placed inside one of the Doctor's trans-dimensional pockets. She hated hospitals with a passion just as much as he did. Bad experiences have happened in them when they were around so this obviously wasn't a thrill, but investigating was always a fun adventure. But if they found another bitchy trampoline in the basement she'd probably just lose it.

Rose felt another static-y twitch and looked out of the window on the other side of the room. She crossed her eyes at what she saw outside - it was raining, but the water was falling _up_. Putting down her book she walked over to window and looked down. Sure enough the sidewalks were dry. _This was really strange_.

She turned to run back to her bed to get changed into her clothes. This was bad. Pulling the curtain around, she immediately started to shed off the hospital gown and shoved on her jeans when it was suddenly pulled back. She yelped as she turned around, covering her exposed chest. Luckily it was the Doctor who had returned, so she sighed in relief. Then she noticed him wearing a different suit - a _blue_ one.

"This is bad, very, very bad—" he said once he joined her behind the curtain. He suddenly froze when his eyes caught sight of Rose's chest, covered only with a white lace bra and her hands.

Rose noticed where his eyes were directed and snapped her fingers at him. "Hello, Doctor. Plasma coils, rain falling up, _bad_…"

He blinked and shook his head, bringing himself back. "Right! Sorry," he scratched his neck awkwardly before going back to the issue at hand, "About the rain—that's what the plasma coils were used for, to create an H2O scoop."

As Rose threw her shirt and jacket on she fixed her gaze on his suit. "Why'd you change your suit?"

"Oh yes. My brown one had oil stains on it so I traded it for this one."

"Why didn't you just sonic it clean like you always do?"

"Well, I wanted to break in this new suit. It's TARDIS blue!" He turned to each side to model it. "You like it?"

Rose eyed it up and down, also noticing how he changed his white trainers for red ones. "The brown one really grew on me and I prefer that one, but this is nice too," she smiled.

He sniffed and adjusted his tie, before saying, "Thank you, Miss Tyler. Just so you know, I'm not discarding the brown one, just giving it a small break. Now, back to the rain—"

His sentence finished with a loud thud and an _oomph_ as the building shook violently, sending them to the floor. They both grabbed for each other as they were grounded. Once the shaking stopped, the Doctor helped Rose to her feet.

"What the _hell_ was that?" she asked, smoothing her clothes.

"We've moved," he said, his face hardening as he gazed out of the window.

"Moved where?" Rose followed his gaze and gasped in shock at the scene. "We're on the…_moon_?"

He nodded once. "Appears so," he turned his gaze back to her, "You all right?"

"Yeah…but we're on the _moon."_

"And you're still not dressed fully," he commented lightly pointing to her bare feet.

She snorted as she sat back on the bed and pulled on her trainers. As she dressed they heard Jones telling everyone to return to their beds and stay in their rooms during this emergency. Rose snorted again and the Doctor chuckled. They were never the type to abide by rules.

They heard footsteps come into their room. "It's real," the voice was that of one of the med students from earlier. She crossed to the other side and must have stood at the window. "It's really real. Hold on!"

"Don't!" said another student, "We'll lose all the air!"

Rose peeked out of a small slit in the curtain and saw one of the med students panicking by the window and Jones approaching her. "But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

The Doctor shared a glance with Rose before pulling the curtain aside. "Very good point! Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" he asked. She nodded and he and Rose strode over to her. "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" the other student cried.

Rose held out her hands at the woman. "But we are so just calm down, alright?" she said softly.

The Doctor scanned the room. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda—"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," she said.

He turned to Rose and offered his hand with a smile. "Fancy going out?"

Rose grinned widely and took his hand. "Do you even have to ask?"

He winked at her before turning back to Martha. "What about you, Martha Jones?"

"Okay," Martha agreed without hesitation.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "We might die," he warned.

"We might not," she retorted.

Rose chuckled softly, "She's good."

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. Good! Come on. Not her," he pointed at the other student who was still panicking and on the verge of tears, "She'd hold us up."

Rose smacked his arm lightly and gave him a scolding look. She let go of his hand and went over to the woman to calm her down. The Doctor smiled softly at her soothing gestures, and the woman nodded. Like he always said, she never forgot. Walking down the halls they reached the balcony, both the Doctor and Rose taking a handle and opening the double doors, stepping outside towards the railing with Martha right behind them.

"We've got air!" she said, stunned. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," Rose said, leaning on the railing beside the young student.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really...really..." She trailed off, looking at the sight.

Rose placed a hand lightly on her arm. Of course all of this was a lot to take in. It had taken herself some time to accept things like this. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Sure?" the Doctor asked from behind.

"Yeah," she repeated.

"Want to go back in?" he asked.

"No way," she said without hesitation and a smile. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same," she kept her eyes on the scenery, "It's beautiful."

"You think?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!" she exclaimed.

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said as he stood between the women, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist.

"What do you think happened?" Martha asked.

He turned to face the doctor in training. "What do you think?" he countered, leaning on the railing with his arm not holding Rose, who looked up at him knowing full well that he was testing the woman. It's what he did.

"Extraterrestrial," Martha said. "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben...Christmas...those Cybermen things." She paused for a moment and took a saddened expression. "I had a cousin—Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm so sorry," Rose said quietly. She hated being reminded of that day, but of course it would always be mentioned. So many people lost so much that day it was unbearable.

"Yeah," Martha said quietly.

"We were there, Rose and I," the Doctor said. "In the battle. It was..." He swallowed hard and tightened his grip on Rose, bringing her closer.

Martha watched the couple. If they were in the battle then they must have lost so much as well. They did say that it was only just them. "I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith we will find a way out," Martha said assuringly. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

The Doctor turned to her. "Yeah, we're not the Smiths," he admitted. "That's not our real names."

Martha furrowed her brows. "Then who are you?"

Rose released herself from the Doctor's grip to introduce herself properly. "I'm Rose Tyler," she smiled and gave a small wave. "Hello."

"And I'm the Doctor," he said as he stood beside her, his arm back around her waist.

Martha snorted and faced the view again, "Me too, if I can pass my exams," she turned back to them, "What is it then, Doctor Tyler?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, we're not married…"

"Seriously?" Martha didn't believe that. The way they looked at each other like they both meant the world to each other. It was kind of obvious they were together.

Rose shrugged her shoulders as the Doctor told her, " And it's just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, 'just the Doctor?'"

"Just…the Doctor," he repeated simply with a little shake of his head, making Rose bite back on a laugh.

"What, people call you the Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Yeah."

Martha shook her head defiantly. "Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

The Doctor looked at Rose and arched an eyebrow. "Well, I'd better make a start then. Let's have a look." Releasing his arm from Rose's waist he picked up a rock and threw it forward over the balcony, and it bounced back at them. "There's some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got," Martha said. "What happens when it runs out?"

Rose placed a hand on his forearm and asked Martha, "How many people are in this hospital?"

Martha shook her head. "I don't know, a thousand?"

The Doctor's face hardened. "One thousand people suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked.

"Heads up!" The Doctor held Rose tight as a group of huge alien ships passed by and landed on the outside of the force field and on the moon. The entrances of the ships opened and out came large figures dressed in black spacesuits with equally large helmets. One by one they marched towards the hospital in am orderly fashion like a military officers. "Ask them yourself."

"Aliens," Martha quietly said watching the creatures, "That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Doctor, what are they?" Rose asked.

The Doctor tightened his grip on her waist as he watched the factions approach the hospital with a dark expression. "Judoon," he growled, "C'mon."

_Apparently these Judoon were bad news,_ Rose thought as the Doctor took her and Martha back inside the hospital. He led them up to the mezzanine level of the hospital lobby and away from the aliens. The largest one, who must have been the Chief, removed its helmet to reveal its head resembling that of a rhinoceros and began to give commands in their language. Large potted plants were perfectly placed in the corner where they crawled over to them and hid, watching from above as the Judoon started to catalogue people with scanners.

As they silently watched, Rose nudged the Doctor and pointed over to the far side corner and whispered, "Doctor, look down there."

His face lit up. "Oh, they've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Never mind that," Martha interrupted, "What are Judoon?"

"They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs," he said with a hint of disgust.

"And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, the lightening? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"Well they brought us up here themselves, yeah? It wouldn't be considered trespassing would it?" Rose pointed out.

"No, but I like that. Good thinking, girls," the Doctor said. "I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human…" he turned to Rose, "Which is very bad news for us."

"Why?" Martha asked. The Doctor and Rose turned to her and just stared. She gave a nervous chuckle and smiled, "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous." The Doctor arched an eyebrow while Rose pressed her lips together. Her gaze flitted between the two of them, her smile dropping. "Stop looking at me like that."

The Doctor stood and brought Rose with him, grabbing her hand. "Come on then. We need to find what they're looking for before _they_ do."


	7. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 2

**A/N: ****Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! *virtual hugs* ;)**

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_**Chapter 7: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 2**_

Together with Martha following them, they came up to the administrative office. Opening the door, the Doctor turned to Martha, "Wait out here. If the Judoon get close, let us know." When she nodded he put his hand on the small of Rose's back and led her inside and shutting the door behind them.

Immediately the Doctor went over to sit at a computer for investigating the records with the sonic in his hand, Rose following him. "She's pretty good, don't ya reckon?"

"Yeah. She is."

"Seems to accept things rather quickly…sort of."

"Culture shock," he told her before looking up with a grin. "Remember when you were like her?"

Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "How could I forget? A broody man in leather and big ears saving me from a plastic arm that attacked me, then told me he was an alien?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Some things you just have to accept."

He winked. "Well, you accepted the TARDIS right off the bat as well, so She grew a liking to you right away."

She chuckled before turning serious at the current situation. "Do you really think they'd catalogue me as non-human?"

His grin faded, turning back to the screen. "Most likely. Your DNA isn't entirely human anymore, just slightly augmented with stronger particles, which makes you as much alien as myself. Well, not fully but the same principle, and makes us targets of something not related to us."

"What happens if they find us?"

"They execute us," he answered darkly.

Just as Rose was about to say something else, Martha came into the room with them. "They've reached third floor." She noticed the Doctor working on the computer and eyed the sonic. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," Rose answered, as his eyes still fixed on the computer.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly," Martha replied irritated.

The Doctor turned around. "No, really, it is," he held up the device up to fully show her. "It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look."

Martha came closer to them, "What else have you got, a laser spanner?"

Rose snorted. "Oh, don't get him started."

The Doctor let out a quiet chuckle as he continued to work on the computer. "I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." He suddenly smacked the computer with his hand, making both women jump. "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down," he cried as he scrubbed his hand over his mouth and muttered, "Judoon platoon upon the moon."

He suddenly thrust his hands in his hair and started to speak rapidly. "We were just passing through, we were just wandering, I swear. We weren't looking for trouble, honestly. Rose just wanted some chips, that was all, but we noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning—that's plasma coils. They've been building up for two days now, so we checked Rose in cos I thought something was going on inside, and it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above," he stopped rambling and lowered his hands from his hair, which was sticking up at all ends.

Rose bit back on a laugh as she watched him ranting. He looked like an absolute madman. If the group of med students and Dr. Stoker who met them earlier didn't think that he may be nuts by what he was talking about, then his appearance right now would most likely confirm their suspicions.

Coming closer behind him she placed her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging his tense muscles. She leaned down to his ear, "Breathe, Doctor, breathe." She felt him relax a little as he let out a sigh.

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor said, his voice calmer.

"So, like you two."

Rose tilted her head. "Like us, but not us. But I'm not an alien, just mostly human."

Martha nodded, taking all of this in - the fact that these two strangers were aliens. "Haven't they got a photo?"

"Could be a shape-changer," the Doctor said, still focused on the computer.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

"All of us?"

"Oh yes," he said, typing on the keyboard, "But if I can find this thing first-" He smacked the computer again. "Oh! Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." His hands found their way back into his crazy hair.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms." His eyes widened as he tilted the computer around to sonic the back. "Maybe there's a back-up."

"Just keep working," Martha said. "I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know." Before they knew it, she raced out into the hall.

"Martha, wait!" Rose went over to the door to run after her, but the Doctor stopped her by grabbing her arm. She turned to him, "Doctor, we can't let her go by herself, it's not safe."

"Rose, it's not safe for _any_ of us, but she's got a better chance than us," he reasoned. "We can't take that risk, not when it involves you." She was about to protest, but she saw that solemn look in his eyes and nodded. He let go of her arm, "She knows what she's doing, she's good. Let's just stay here and get these records."

Rose was about to protest but accepted it and leaned over his shoulder to peer at the screen. The Doctor could feel the tension radiating from her body as she waved it off. She was definitely not letting it go that easily. He turned his head and placed his forehead against her temple. "I promise we'll get outta here, Rose. I won't let anything happen you," he swore quietly.

She turned until her forehead rested against his own and looked into his eyes. "I know we will. It's what you do best."

They smiled at each other before she shifted to kiss his cheek and they continued searching the computer. A few moments later of investigating and some more of the Doctor abusing the machine, they came across some of the possible suspects the Judoon would be after.

"We got it!"

"Not that thick, then?" Rose joked.

"Guess not. Let's find Martha," he grabbed her hand and made it out of the room. Just as they ran into the hall, they bumped into the woman they were looking for. "I've restored the back-up," the Doctor told.

Martha looked frantic. "I found her."

"You did what?" Rose asked, but before she should get an answer, a man dressed head to toe in leather like a motorcycle rider broke down a door down the hall and started running towards them.

Not wasting any time, the Doctor tightened his hold on Rose's hand, along with grabbing Martha's and yelled. "Run!"

They raced through the corridors, turning corners trying to lose the man, but he was close behind. When they turned another corner, a Judoon was at the end of the hall. Well, that way wouldn't work. Spinning back around they ran up another flight of stairs to the next floor and noticed the radiology department. The Doctor pushed both women in the shielded room directly and soniced the main door shut, trapping himself in the X-ray room and standing by a machine and sticking the sonic in a port.

He turned to the women. "When I say 'now', press the button."

Rose looked at Martha, "Which one is it?"

Martha figeted. "I don't know, this isn't my department!"

"Well, find out!" The Doctor shouted.

Perfect. She inwardly rolled her eyes as they scanned the room for a manual. Martha found it and flipped through the pages frantically. Rose pointed at a diagram showing which button activated the machine. "There!"

Just as she found it, the main door broke down and in stepped the man in leather.

"Now!" the Doctor shouted.

Rose smashed a yellow button on the controls and activated the X-ray machine. It zapped as the man arched his body, his skeleton visible before falling to the floor.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor kept his eyes on the lifeless man on the ground. "Increased the radiation by five thousand percent. Killed him dead."

Rose felt a chill when the Doctor said 'killed.' He never was the type to actually resort to such methods, especially after the war. But that wasn't all that made her shiver inside. She stared at him and trembled.

"Doctor…the radiation," she breathed out quietly, bringing her hands to her face.

They had promised each other forever, and were finally given the opportunity for it to happen but she wasn't ready for this. She made it through one regeneration, as painful as it was to lose his previous life, and wasn't prepared to lose this one…not now.

The Doctor looked up at Rose with softened eyes before turning to Martha when she asked, "Won't that kill you too?"

He shook his head. "Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all," he twitched his nose and snorted. "All I need to do is expel it." He began hopping in place as the women joined him from the other side. "If I concentrate…" he snorted again, "I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot." He twitched again and looked down, "It's in my left shoe," he lifted it off the ground and twirled it. "Here we go, here we go, easy does it…" He kicked his foot out while hopping on one leg. "Out! Out, out, out, out. Out, out! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Itches, itches, itches, itches—Ah! Hot! Hold on." He took off his shoe and threw it into the trashcan next to him and looked back up at the women, who just stared. "Done."

Martha just gawked. "You're completely mad."

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." With that he bent over and pulled off his other shoe and disposed of it with its twin. When he straightened up, he wiggled his eyebrows as well as his toes. "Barefoot on the moon!" He glanced at Rose who was still staring at him and he smiled. "How about you Rose? Wanna give it a try?" Rose stepped forward and smacked his arm. "What was that for?" He cried with a confused expression.

She hit his arm again, syncing her strikes with her words. "You daft, bloody, alien git!"

The Doctor tried to grab hold of her to calm her down. "Okay, okay." She was obviously not thrilled about him absorbing radiation energy again, and he couldn't blame her indifference, except now she was turning into her mother. He grabbed a hold of her upper arms and looked right at her. "I know you're upset and I'm sorry, but I'm fine, Rose." He took her hands and placed them on his chest, proving to her that he was all right. "See. Fully alive," he pulled her to his chest and rubbed her back.

"You could've given me a heads up," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry. Next time I will, okay?"

She nodded and he kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there. She lightly swatted his chest. "Don't you scare me like that again," she scolded, as he grinned against her skin before pulling away to kneel by the body.

Martha stood and stared at them before joining them near the man. "So what is that thing? And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab, they're called Slabs," he explained. "Basic slave drones," he pointed at the body, "See? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish." He leaned over to Rose and winked at her, making her giggle. He stood to retrieve his sonic screwdriver from the machine.

The women followed suit, as Martha began to speak up. "But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and it made a fried noise. "My sonic screwdriver…" he said in disbelief as he eyed it.

Martha continued. "She was one of the patients, but—"

"No, no. My sonic screwdriver," he repeated as Rose moved next to him to inspect the sonic. It was completely burned out.

"—she had a straw like some kind of vampire."

He held it closer to Rose and looked at her sadly. "I loved my sonic screwdriver."

She patted his arm comfortingly. "I know, it was a good sonic."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Doctor!?" she said loudly.

They both turned around, and the Doctor carelessly tossed the tarnished screwdriver over his shoulder. "Sorry." He then smiled. "You called me Doctor."

"So much for attachment," Rose chuckled under her breath.

Martha shook her head at him. "Anyway...Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Funny time for a snack," the Doctor commented.

"You'd think she'd be hiding," Rose added.

The Doctor raised his head and Rose could practically see the gears in his head working hard as his eyes went distant. "Unless…no. Yes, that's it, wait a minute," he paused before exclaiming, "Yes! Shape-changer—internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it. If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology—"

"—then she can make herself seem human," Rose finished.

"Exactly! We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

Without hesitation the Doctor raced out of the room and into the corridor with the girls following him. He turned a corner and skidded to a stop when he noticed a Slab and turned to the girls and brought them down to hide behind a water cooler.

"That's the thing about Slabs," he said as it walked by, "They always travel in pairs."

"Like you two?" Martha asked.

Rose turned to her and frowned. "What?"

"You said that you weren't married, but you two seem so close. Are you...like, his sidekick? Assistant?"

Rose, still confused, shook her head. "No, we're…together," she answered lamely. Honestly they were, but how can she explain it to others who didn't understand?

"I can tell you're a couple, but you seem…so much more."

"Humans," the Doctor cut in before Rose could reply. "We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions! Come on." He stood up, the girls following.

Martha scoffed as they walked down the corridor. "I like that," she said sarcastically, "'Humans'. I'm still not convinced you're aliens."

The moment they turned a corner they stepped right in front of a Judoon. It held up a scanner to the Doctor's face, shining a blue light. "Non-human," it confirmed.

"Oh my God, you really are!" Martha cried.

"Told ya," Rose whispered.

"And again!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing their hands and running down the corridor, avoiding the laser blasts being shot at them from the Judoon.

As they ran up a flight of stairs, the Doctor pushed the girls ahead of him and instinctively reached for his sonic to lock the door behind them, but inwardly cursed when he realized it was fried and thrown away. He locked the door manually before catching up to the girls in the corridor. People were gasping for breath and collapsing to the ground. The oxygen was running out, much like time.

Doing a quick scan of the hall for any Judoon or Slabs, luckily he saw none. "They've done this floor, come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already—if we're lucky," he added. They sprinted down to the end of the hall, passing the oxygen starved patients. They recognized the panicked med student from earlier holding an oxygen mask up to help a young girl.

Martha stopped, causing the Doctor and Rose to do the same, as she asked her, "How much oxygen is there?"

"Not enough for all these people," the woman answered breathlessly, "We're going to run out."

The Doctor went over to Martha. "How are you feeling? Are you all right?"

She gave a short laugh and panted a little. "I'm running on adrenaline."

"Welcome to our world," Rose commented with a small smile, trying to catch her breath.

The Doctor turned to her. "How are you doing, you all right?"

Her head was throbbing but she brushed it aside. "Yeah, 'm fine. What about the Judoon?"

"Ah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down," he said, before turning back to Martha. "Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," she said, leading them down the corridor to a room. When she opened the door and entered she gasped softly. "She's gone! She was here."

The Doctor and Rose ran over to Stoker's lifeless body, his skin ashen gray with eyes wide open and distant.

Rose felt sick in her stomach and avoided dry heaving on the spot. "She drained him dry..."

"Every last drop," the Doctor muttered beside her. "I was right. She's a plasmavore."

They left the room where Mr. Stoker's body lay and went back into the hall, the Doctor beginning to pace frantically.

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" He turned in a circle and scanned the room for anything that would help and found a sign for the MRI room. "She's as clever as me. Almost."

Rose came next to him. "Meaning?"

"I need time," he said quickly, coming up with a plan.

He knew Rose was definitely _not_ going to take any liking to it one bit, but he couldn't risk her safety with the Judoon scanning and looking to execute the 'non-human.' It was the only way and he needed to use Martha. But of course knowing how stubborn his Rose was, she'd never accept hiding away in a cupboard. As much as he hated it, it had to be done. He turned to the young med student and gulped, hopefully not too audibly.

"You're going to have to hold them up," he told her.

"How do I do that?"

He flitted his eyes between the two women. "Forgive me for this, it's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing," he turned to Rose and reassured her as much as he could. "Honestly, _nothing_."

Rose nodded at him, looking at him oddly…and then he cupped Martha's face and licked her forehead. That damn tongue of his. She blinked once in shock and that fast he pulled away from the woman and turned to face her. Now he cupped her face and brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones, looking deep in her eyes.

"You have to go hide."

"What?" Rose cried. "No, I'm—"

"Rose, listen to me, I don't want to risk ourselves any more than we already are, but it's the only way," he said quickly. "Just go with her and be careful. _Please_, Rose."

She shook her head. "Doctor, I'm coming with you, and—"

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, but it wasn't quick and chaste, it was all fierce passion. She couldn't stop herself as she melded against him, placing a hand on his face and another on his back. She parted her lips allowing him access, and of course he submitted by slipping his tongue through, mirroring her position. Neither of them could resist each other's kiss, and they probably never will be able to. They heard Martha clear her throat behind them, causing them to break their moment. Rose looked up at the Doctor just as he sprinted away through a doorway and down another corridor. She wasn't letting him go alone.

"What did your boyfriend just do?" Martha asked with a grimace.

"Sorry about that," Rose apologized.

"He _licked_ my forehead!"

"He doesn't do it often, he…probably had an excuse for that. If it buys us time then go with it." She paused. "Martha, I'm gonna go—"

"Follow him?" the student said. "I figured you would, just go. I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, we'll be back for you," Rose called as she ran after the Doctor.

Martha smiled lightly as the blonde ran off. She twisted her face at the fact that this alien, this stranger, had done something like that. Maybe it was an alien thing to just randomly lick people's foreheads. Barmy idea.

"Not married, my right," she murmured as she ran.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Blimey, he got carried away. Of course that was to be expected whenever the opportunity to kiss one Rose Tyler was on the table, which was _always._ But now there was less time to expose this Miss Finnegan to the Judoon, and he had a plan. It wasn't the brightest and smartest plan he's ever had—though that seems to be the case with _most_ of his plans anyway—but he knew it would definitely work.

Hopefully.

He knew the moment he'd tell Rose about what he was going to do exactly that she'd probably slap him silly, which was why he advised her to hide somewhere. He didn't want that to happen but if she went with Martha she would risk herself more, and he didn't want that. Hiding in a safe cupboard would be better, but this is _Rose _he's talking about. She had disapproved many of his ideas, and was pretty lineant to rather going with him.

Finally the Doctor made it to the MRI room. Peeking in he saw a woman standing alone facing a large machine. From this angle she looked to be figeting with her fingers. This had to be her. Now time to act—literally. Busting in the room he immediately got her attention as she turned away from the large machine. Putting on his best shocked and exasperated expression he began to perform his facade.

"Have you seen? There are these _things,_ those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space. And we're on the moon!" He gestured wildly. "Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look," he looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes at her, "They're all right now, perfectly good treatment, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

The woman just eyed him. "Hold him!"

With a confused look he turned around and was greeted with a Slab walking in, grabbing his arms and holding them against his back. He turned back to face Finnegan and swallowed hard. A loud whirring sound filled the room.

"That thing, that big machine thing," he nodded his head towards the object, "Is it supposed to be making that noise?"

She shook her head and waved him off. "You wouldn't understand."

"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE—well, I failed, but all the same."

Finnegan looked somewhat impressed. "The magnetic setting is now set to fifty thousand Tesla."

"Ooh, that's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brainstems of every living thing within two hundred and fifty thousand miles," she grinned, "Except me, safe in this room."

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "But hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE—I did pass that one—doesn't that distance include Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions," he indicated his feet again before asking, "Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape," Finnegan answered.

The Doctor let out a chuckle. "Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

She grinned widely. "Right-o."

His eyes widened, and his smile dropped to disbelief. "No!"

"Oh, yes."

"You're joshing me."

"I am not," she assured.

A wide smile spread on his face. "I'm talking to an alien? In a hospital? What, has the place got an E.T. department?"

"It's the perfect hiding place," she said. "Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" he asked, still going along with the act.

"Yes, but I'm hidden," she said confidently.

"Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

Her confidence faded into fear. "They're doing what?"

"My wife—my brilliant, beautiful wife—said the big chief rhino boy, that he said, 'no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans…up to setting two?'"

The Doctor could sense her panic and inwardly grinned. However he knew what part of his plan was coming—the part that Rose would highly disagree with. "Then I must assimilate again," Finnegan replied.

"What does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human."

"Well, you're welcome to come home," he chirped, "My wife could cook us up some dinner, she'd be honored. We can have cake! She makes fantastic banana cake, with these edible ball bearings and—"

"Why should I have cake?" Finnegan cut in, pulling out a straw from her purse, "I've got my little straw."

"That's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace," she looked up at the Slab, "Steady him!"

The slave drone did as told and held him tighter. He knew what would happen next but asked anyway, "What are you doing?"

Finnegan approached him with her straw in the air. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember."

She poked the straw into his neck and began to slurp.

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**In case anyone has Netflix and you binge watch DW on it, you'll have to overdo it now. Netflix is taking DW _off_ as of January 31st! But you can sign a petition to try to keep it on! I already have, so if you want to take part in it just ask me, I'll send the link. ****On another note, hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	8. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 3

**A/N: I'm glad you're all happy about Martha knowing the Doctor isn't available ;) Also, to those who have signed that petition: *virtual high five* Hopefully Netflix can renegotiate the contract and keep DW on. ****As always, many thanks to everyone viewing the story! You're all amazing people, and I love hearing from you all! n_n**

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_**Chapter 8: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 3**_

Rose ran as fast as her legs could handle, ignoring the burning not only in them, but also in her head along with the slight dizziness. She whipped her head around the corridor and peeked her head into every room she passed. Obviously the Doctor had told her he wasn't going to risk her life, but that was chucked away the moment they stepped foot in this hospital.

Actually her life's been a whirlwind ever since she met that madman in the blue box—the love of her life. But right now she was furious at him for leaving her aside and expected her to hide in an alcove or something. Granted, he always did things that were best for her own safety and she couldn't be more grateful that he cares about her, but she wasn't weak. If she had to fight then she would do so. She was a woman who can make her own decisions, and if she wanted to go with him then there shouldn't be an issue. Dangerous or not, he shouldn't have to go in alone.

She remembered the Doctor looking around the corridor and catching sight of a particular sign for the MRI room, so that must be where he was as well as the Finnegan woman. Rose found the room but stopped to peek through the door to be sure. She couldn't see much but she noticed a woman leaning over and a Slab holding someone. She inwardly gasped when she saw a certain pair of bare feet and the cuffs of blue trousers. She was drinking his blood! Then she realized what his plan was: he was getting her to drink his blood so she would easily get caught by the Judoon.

Now she knew why he didn't mention his plan. He was sacrificing himself. Without hesitation she burst through the door and shouted, "Get away from him!"

The woman glanced up at her but slurped faster through her straw. "Rose," she heard the Doctor's voice speak. He sounded firm but was weakening. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Saving you from being a living Slurpee!" she screamed as she ran over to him.

"Grab her!" Finnegan ordered before returning to drinking his blood.

Another Slab came out from the darkness and grabbed a hold of her just as she made it to him, but she fought against the mindless drone. "No, get off!"

"Leave her alone," the Doctor croaked, as he was weakening more and more.

How much of his blood would she have to take to be catalogued as an alien? She hoped it wasn't much because he was getting paler by the minute.

Fighting against the Slab Rose kneed the drone in the midsection, making them stumble. She connected again, this time causing them to fall to the ground, the dizziness in her head increasing. Scrambling up to her feet, she felt a hand grab her ankle and force her back down.

"I said…get _off!"_ Using her other leg, Rose kicked the Slab straight in the face, or where its face would be under the helmet - knocking it against the wall before slumping to the floor.

Feeling a little triumphant she turned around and any feeling of relief she just gained was chucked away. The Doctor was ashen and fading fast, his eyes barely open.

"No! Stop it!"

With a surge of strength she launched off of the floor and tackled the Slab holding the Doctor. She fought against the steel grip it had on his arms, but wasn't getting anywhere. She kneed the drone in the midsection twice before hitting it right between the legs. As it stumbled in front of her, in a flash she was caught off guard when Finnegan punched her jaw hard, causing her to fall and hit her head against the floor. She saw a sudden flash and then spots behind her eyes. Some muffled sounds buzzed in her ears, one of them sounding like someone calling her name. Her hearing started to come back slowly.

"Confirmation: Deceased," said a Judoon.

In a flash her eyes opened and what she saw tore her heart up. The Doctor lay motionless on the ground, his skin horribly pale. "NOOO!"

She crawled over to him fighting the whirling sensation in her head and touched his face. He always felt cold because of his physiology, except now he was worse, his skin clammy. But what ached her more was when she placed both hands on his chest over both of his hearts—the double beat was silent, and she was sure that she heard her own break. His lips were slightly parted but no breath came through them. He couldn't be gone, he just couldn't! She began to shake his body weakly as she started to succumb to the oxygen starvation, but that wasn't her main concern right now. All she wanted was the Doctor back. She was so distracted by his lifeless body that she hadn't noticed Martha fighting her way from the Judoon.

"No, he can't be. Let me through, let me see him," she cried.

"Stop. Case closed," the Chief Judoon told.

"But it was her," Martha screamed as she pointed at Finnegan, "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him!"

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human!"

Finnegan held up her hand and spoke calmly with confidence. "Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued," she held up her hand and showed the 'X' mark in black ink to confirm.

Rose lifted her head, her tears stinging her eyes as she glared at the woman. "Don't act all innocent, I saw you, you drank his blood! You killed him!" Her head was spinning and she felt like she was about to faint.

Martha caught onto what Rose said. "Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?" She grabbed one of the Judoon's scanners and pointed it at the woman, who chuckled.

"Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like," she said nonchalantly.

It beeped and the Judoon confirmed. "Non-human!"

Her smug smile disappeared. "But..._what_?"

"Confirm analysis."

She backed away, holding her hands up innocently. "Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm _human_. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha said with disgust, looking down at a saddened Rose bent over the Doctor, who still wasn't moving.

The Judoon went up to Finnegan. "Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it!" She defended. "Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

After she confessed, the Judoon executed her and the Slabs. But before she disintegrated wholly Rose heard her scream "Burn with me!" With that the Judoon left but Martha went after them to protest.

Ignoring that Rose returned her attention to the Doctor, her body numb from her nerves. This couldn't be happening. "Don't leave me," she sobbed, as she stroked his face gently but shakily, "We made a promise, a promise of forever and we have the chance now." As he still had no response, her sobs grew worse. What she had thought was a blessing was now only a curse. Their chance was shattered. "Please don't leave me, Doctor, you're all I have left."

She leaned over to flip one of his eyelids up, a few of her teardrops spilling onto his ashen face before she wiped them away. His warm chocolate eyes were cold and lifeless, making her shudder. She bent down to place a trembling watery kiss to his unmoving lips before moving back and taking his head into her lap, staring down at him while stroking his hair as she pleaded.

"Come on, _please._ Wake up. Please Doctor, _regenerate!_" She didn't know how much time she had before she would pass out from the lack of air, but she wouldn't stop until the Doctor responded.

Martha suddenly collapsed beside Rose and began performing CPR on him, placing her hands on his chest and breathing in his mouth, but she didn't know one specific difference between him and humans. With a final breath Rose placed his head gently to the ground and reached for one of his hands before breathing out.

"Two hearts…" just before passing out beside the Doctor.

Martha immediately began working on both sides of his chest. "Come on, come on," she muttered. Taking in her last breath of air, she opened his mouth and gave it to him. Relief came over her when the Doctor gasped and coughed. He was waking up, but Martha felt herself fading.

"The scanner," she rasped to him, "She did something." That was all she could get out before it was her turn to pass out.

The Doctor turned onto his stomach, his breaths ragged through his nose as he sputtered. He curled his fingers and felt a hand loosely gripping his, and he knew very well who it belonged to. Turning his head he saw the Martha's limp body beside him and then Rose's on the other. That was all the added strength he needed. He brought her hand up to place a kiss to it and settled it down.

Standing up on wobbly legs he went over to the machine in the corner and disconnected it, causing it to spark. Staggering back over to the girls he fell to his knees and brushed Martha's hair back and kept his hand there for a moment. This poor woman. She was just a regular med student but she proved to be very brave. He was going to come back for her, but right now he needed to check on his beloved pink and yellow human. Crawling over to Rose he bent down to take her into his arms and stood up shakily. He walked down the hall carrying Rose's limp form and stood by one of the large windows displaying the view of the moon.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, please," he muttered. "Come on, Judoon, reverse it." A weak smile spread on his face as he saw it begin to rain. He took his gaze away from the outside and looked down at his Rose. "It's raining on the moon, Rose," he said quietly. She went through so much trouble to save him, just like every other time. Even when he advised her not to come she was being her brilliant, stubborn self and followed him anyway. He bent down and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Let's get you outta here."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Rose gasped and sat upright too fast, causing her heart to pound and her head to spin again. She was completely disoriented and had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was Martha trying to revive the Doctor.

_Oh, my God, the Doctor!_

Just as she whipped her head around she was greeted with a familiar face and warm chocolate eyes of the man kneeling beside her with a hand pressed to her cheek. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're safe, Rose." Oh, his voice—his normal, beautiful voice.

Letting out a squeal she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight, not wanting to let go as if it were a dream, but the double rhythm of hearts against her chest proved otherwise. She realized they were back on the TARDIS, more specifically the console room as She hummed in her mind and that she was seated on the jump seat.

"You-you're…you're alive!" She choked out, smiling as she buried her face in his neck.

He rubbed her back and rocked her gently as he lifted her up to take her spot on the jump seat, placing her in his lap and holding her close. He whispered in her ear, "I'm here, it's okay. I'll always come back to you, remember?"

She chuckled as she pulled back to kiss him firmly on the lips, smiling against them. Unlike earlier, he responded to her touch immediately and she soared. He was alive, and she felt like she was floating. Breaking the kiss, Rose gazed into his eyes now full of life and laughed before turning serious. "I'm still angry with you, you know,' she poked his chest.

The Doctor sighed and nodded. "I know, I know, I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up…_again_."

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" she asked swatting his chest, not too forceful.

"Yes, it was dangerous and daft, but it was all I could think of at the time," he crossed his brows at her. "What about you? I told you to go with hide, and yet you defied me anyway."

"Like in was gonna let you deal with some vampire alien all by yourself? No, ta." She took a deep breath through her nose before saying in a small voice, "You were dead, Doctor. Both of your hearts stopped beating."

He averted his gaze and sighed. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it. What could he say? She had every right to be angry at him for doing something so idiotic and risky. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

The sight of his lifeless body was burned into her memory, and would never leave. While she was furious at him and wanted to slap him for doing such a drastic tactic, she was still grateful that he was still here with her.

"Doctor, I know you do things out of instinct just to protect me, and I respect you for that, but I'm a grown woman. I can make my own choices—like when I chose to be with you forever. Don't do anything like _that _again, please? I know you did it do save everyone, that's what you do, save people. But should another situation like this were to ever happen again, please find another way."

He lifted his eyes back to hers and nodded. "Believe me, I know how strong you are, Rose, it's just that…I didn't want to lose you. "

"But for a few moments, _I_ lost _you,"_ she shot back quietly, "It scares me too, but if the universe is trying to split us up then why would they give us the gift of forever?" She rubbed his sideburn. "Like I told you before—they can throw whatever they want at us, but we manage to make it through _together." _When he smiled at her she lowered his head to kiss him between the eyes. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my God Martha! Is she okay?"

"She's fine," he assured. "I checked on her after I brought you back here. She asked about you and I told her that you were resting and regaining your energy," he smirked, "You have a reputation for sleeping entirely too much, you know. Even when I told you that your cycle can be pushed back like mine, you still hibernate."

Rose chuckled and played with the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck. "Very funny. I'm guessing she asked you about that forehead lick, right?"

The Doctor swallowed and shook his head. _"That_ was only a genetic transfer."

"Do you know how disgusted she was?"

"Perhaps I could've tried it a different way, but there wasn't much time. "Apparently not that much since I immediately got distracted by you," he joked, arching an eyebrow at her, "And for the record, I assure you that most certainly was _not_ a genetic transfer." He brushed the backs of two fingers down her cheek, "It would _never_ be like that with you. Always _more."_

She lowered her head and sighed. "Yeah…"

The Doctor moved his hand to her chin and tilted her face back up to him. "What is it?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "Martha was the one who saved you, not me. All I did was cry and got dizzy. I didn't think to do anything else," she averted her gaze, "I'm worthless."

"Don't you dare say that," the Doctor scolded. "Don't you _ever_ belittle yourself into thinking you never help, because you _do_." He moved his hand hand to the side of her face and brushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. "Rose Tyler, you do so much and you don't even realize it. I thought I made that clear back on Noel," he said with a chuckle. "All day you've been clever, and smart, and utterly brilliant just as you always are every day. Not to mention you actually fought off two Slabs to save me, which I'm still a little upset about because that wasn't safe—"

"Excuse me, but I wasn't the one who sacrificed their body and was getting their blood sucked by some vampire alien and didn't even give their companion any warning," she retorted.

He nodded. "Yes, yes I know."

"I thought you'd be more upset that I actually used violence against them."

"No, I'm not upset about that." She arched an eyebrow at him. "Not a lot. I was more upset that you were putting yourself in greater danger. Still, you did what you had to, and you helped yourself out."

"We both went a little over the top, didn't we?"

He chuckled. "I suppose. Let's just call it even, then?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hm. I dunno." Looking back on both of their actions it was clear that they both defied each other just to save the other person, so it seemed even enough. "I guess so."

The Doctor smiled. "Anyway, like I was saying. Though I specifically told you not to come with me, you went ahead and came anyway. You saved my life _again_, just as you do every day in so many ways."

Rose smiled and lowered one of her hands to his chest between his hearts, his fully alive hearts. "It's what we do, yeah? Look out for each other." He nodded once before she pulled him for another kiss. When they broke apart, Rose studied him. "I think we should offer Martha a trip, just to say thanks. I mean, she deserves it."

"Couldn't agree more," he said. "But before that, I need to make a new screwdriver."

Rose giggled. "Can't have you without one. You know you're useless without it," she teased.

"Maybe. I'm useless without a few things, I think," he added quietly.

She brought her hand up and stroked his sideburn. "Like what?"

He smiled and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. "Oh, you know."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"Ah, there we go!" The Doctor exclaimed holding up his new sonic screwdriver.

Rose just came from taking a well deserved hot shower and moved to stand next to him at the console, studying the sonic. "It looks exactly the same."

"Yep!"

_"New,_ new sonic, then?"

"Oh, yes!" He pocketed it and put in the coordinates for a London alley and pulled the lever. Once they landed they ran down the ramp, the Doctor grabbing his coat from the coral strut, and headed outside.

Rose also admired that he had put the brown suit back on. The blue one definitely worked for him, too. Though she thought he could make _anything_ look good, she had a personal liking to the brown with pinstripes.

They rounded the corner of the alley and leaned against the building. On the other side of the road they watched Martha's family bickering. "How cheery," Rose commented.

"Quality family time," he muttered.

Judging by the looks of them, they made Jackie Tyler seem like a shy lady, and that's saying something.

They finally got Martha's attention as she saw them by the alley. Both smiling at her, the turned around to walk back to the TARDIS and leaned against the doors, waiting for her to follow. When Martha caught up to them she grinned at the sight of the two of them happy and themselves, the Doctor with an arm wrapped around Rose's shoulders.

"I went to the moon today," she said.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor told her.

"You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor and Rose Tyler," Rose answered with a smile.

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that," Martha said with a grin.

"Well, Rose is human—weeell not _fully_ anymore," the Doctor said. "She's slightly more than average, and I'm a Time Lord."

Martha laughed. "Right! Not pompous at all, then."

The Doctor nodded and looked down at Rose for a second before addressing Martha. "Rose and I just thought that since you were a big help and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing," he reached in his pocket and held the device in his opposite hand, "That you might fancy a trip," he offered softly.

"What, into space?"

Rose nodded. "Well, if you'd like."

Martha shook her head. "But I can't, I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad!"

Rose leaned into the Doctor's side, crossing her arms over her chest. "If it helps you at all, we can also travel in time."

Martha widened her eyes. She may have seen a lot of stuff today out of the ordinary, but they had to be kidding now. "Get out of here!"

"We can!" The Doctor nodded. "We can prove it!" He pushed back on the TARDIS door and pulled Rose inside.

"What are we doing?" she asked when they went up to the console.

"Remember when we first met Martha and she told us that she had seen us outside that morning?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, that's where we're going," he smiled.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor landed the TARDIS off in another alley just by the chippy not far from the Royal Hope Hospital. He told her to be quick so they wouldn't miss Martha. Rose did as told and bought a carton of chips and met up with the Doctor as they walked on the crowded sidewalk. In the middle was a small opening and they saw the young med student. Walking up to her, the Doctor loosened his tie and held it up to the woman.

"Like so," he said.

Martha eyed him cautiously and Rose almost laughed. "I'm sorry?"

Rose smiled and offered the confused woman a chip. "Want a chip?"

She looked at her the same way. "Um, no thanks."

Shrugging, Rose popped the chip in her mouth and walked away with the Doctor, leaving behind a confused Martha. Once they were out of her view they ran back to the TARDIS giggling.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha stood in the alley watching in awe as the blue police box disappeared and then reappeared a moment later. Rose came out first with a carton of hot, steaming chips and munched on one while the Doctor followed as he readjusted his tie.

"Told you," the Doctor said with a smug smile.

"No, but, that was this morning. Did you?" _Yes, they did!_ "Oh, my God, you can travel in time!" Martha chirped as they smiled at her. She turned serious for a moment. "But hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor explained, smiling softly, "Except for cheap tricks."

"And," she nodded at the blue box, "That's your spaceship?"

"It's called the TARDIS," Rose said, turning around to stroke its side. "That's 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space.'" The Doctor smiled proudly and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Martha stepped closer and placed a hand on the side. "Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. Wouldn't we be a bit…intimate," she said, arching a brow.

The Doctor waggled his eyebrows at Rose and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I love this bit," before turning back to Martha, "Take a look." He stood aside to let the woman in. Rose counted the seconds on her fingers until she came back out.

"No, no, no. But it's…just a box. But it's huge!"

She ran back inside and Rose whispered to the Doctor, "Did I look like that?"

"Oh yes," he grinned.

They followed Martha as she stood up the ramp glancing around the console room. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in." The Doctor watched her and mouthed along with her next words "It's…bigger on the inside."

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," he said, causing Rose to giggle as she ran up to the console. He moved back to shut the door and threw his coat on the coral strut and walking by the bemused woman to join Rose. "Right then, let's get going."

Martha still looked around shocked by the size. "But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Well, sometimes we have guests—I mean, some friends, traveling alongside," he said. "But it's just us now. Better that way," he glanced at Rose as she nudged his shoulder. "Well, then," he went over to operate the console, "Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake," he held onto it and looked up at Martha with a smirk. "Ready?"

She smiled. "No!"

Rose held onto the console. "Hold on tight!"

"Off we go!" The Doctor pulled the lever sending the TARDIS off a jolt, the three of them gripping the console.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," Martha commented.

Rose laughed, "Usually always is."

The Doctor grinned and held out his hand to Martha. "Welcome aboard, Miss Jones."

She took his hand and said, "It's my pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

* * *

**Aw yeah, one of my favorite episodes is next! As always reviews are lovely, so feel free to drop one. :)**


	9. The Shakespeare Code Part 1

**A/N: I love this episode, definitely one of my favorites from series 3. Thanks, as always, to the viewers, I adore you all! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 9: The Shakespeare Code Part 1**_

Gripping onto the console with all of her might, Martha still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that time travel was possible. And this…box, this ship, was just impossibly bigger on the inside. She wanted to pinch herself to check to see if this was all a dream but she didn't dare to try.

"But how do you travel in time?" she asked. "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor said, holding onto the console and not taking his eyes off of it. "Martha, you don't wanna know, it just does."

"Yeah, you'll be stuck with an extremely long lecture that'll only confuse you, especially if he's telling it," Rose joked from the other side.

The Doctor shot her a look before yelling, "Hold on tight!"

Another jolt from the TARDIS sent Rose against the railing and Martha to the floor while the Doctor stumbled down the ramp and away from the console. Once She landed he ran over to the strut and grabbed his coat along with girls'.

Rose moved over to Martha and helped her to her feet. "You okay?"

"Blimey!" she said as she stood and brushed off her clothes. "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed," the Doctor nonchalantly answered as he threw on his coat.

Rose scoffed. "That explains a lot."

"Oi!"

"What, it doesn't?"

"Mocking my driving skills again, Rose Tyler?"

"Some skills you have."

He pointed an accusing finger at her, "That's very rude of you."

"You have room to talk, Mr. Rude and Not Ginger," she retorted.

He huffed and turned to the door and threw them their coats while Martha chuckled at them. "You two are something else."

"That's us," the Doctor said, "Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door…a brave new world."

"Where are we?"

He nodded at the door and smirked. "Take a look." She hesitated, not knowing what was outside those doors.

"Go on," Rose encouraged lightly, nudging her shoulder.

Smiling at them Martha walked outside with Rose following, stopping after a few steps from the door. She looked at her surroundings at what seemed to look like old London, _very_ old, rather. The streets were narrow dirt paths with houses and structures made of wood.

"Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me." She gazed in awe at everything. She just travelled in time! "Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time," she exclaimed as Rose joined her. "Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. _When_ are we?"

Rose looked up and saw someone from above shouting and ready to dump a bucket right where they were standing. Grabbing Martha by the arms she pulled her back just as the man dumped the bucket on their spot.

Rose twisted her face in disgust at what was in the bucket. "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Lovely."

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said joining them and shutting the door behind him.

"I've seen worse," Martha said with a laugh. "I've worked the late night shift at A&amp;E."

Rose chuckled as the Doctor took her hand and began walking. They stopped and turned to Martha when she asked, "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Doctor chirped. "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies." He turned to continue walking before saying over his shoulder with a frown. "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

Rose swatted his arm lightly and turned to Martha. "You'll be fine. It's not really like the movies, it's more complicated. But still, you're safe. Just don't get involved in major events."

The Doctor snorted and nudged her shoulder. "Oh! So, is that what we've been doing wrong?" Rose smiled and patted his arm.

"What if, I don't know…what if I kill my grandfather?" Martha asked. It wasn't much of a serious question, but she wanted to say it anyway.

"Are you planning to?" the Doctor asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No."

The Doctor tilted his head and continued walking with Rose. "Well, then. I recommend not doing it."

Catching up with then, she asked, "And this is London?"

"I think so. 'Round about 1599."

Something suddenly came to her when he answered. "Oh, but hold on, am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"

The Doctor turned with a confused expression. "Why would they do that?"

She gestured at her face. "Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed."

"I'm not even human," he said with a shrug. "Just walk about like you own the place, works for me—well, I should say _us,"_ he winked over at Rose.

"Doctor, what about the way Martha and I are dressed?" Rose asked before adding jokingly, "We're not going to be taken aside for being 'naked,' are we?"

The Doctor chuckled. "Nah. Those were different times, Rose. Besides that was Scotland in 1879, this is Elizabethan England. You'd be surprised, it's not so different from your time. Look over there," he pointed over to a man shoveling manure. "They've got recycling," he then gestured at two men talking by a water barrel. "Water cooler moment."

As they walked they passed an old man shouting, "…and the world will be consumed by flame!"

Rose snorted at how true his remark would be. "Tell me about it," she mumbled.

The Doctor smirked. "Global warming. Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to—" With Rose's hand in his left he grabbed Martha's with his right and dashed around the corner, stopping when he saw the very thing he wanted them to see and let go of their hands. "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new, just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon—fourteen sides," he brought them close to him as he added quietly, "Containing the man himself."

Martha shook her head in disbelief. "Whoa. You don't mean…? Is _Shakespeare_ in there?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" he said, bouncing on his feet enthusiastically.

Rose smiled at his happiness. When it came to famous people he was always a fanboy, almost like a kid in a candy store. She couldn't help but remember his joy when they had visited Dickens. He must have an a deep admiration for legendary authors and playwrights. She looped her arm through his and looked up at him.

"Such a fanboy," she said.

He made the happy noise in the back of his throat before holding out his arm for Martha and glanced between the two women. "Miss Tyler, Miss Jones, would you care to accompany me to the theatre?"

Rose smiled widely. "Of course, my Doctor."

Martha grinned and took his arm. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I will."

As they began to walk towards the theatre, the smile never left the Doctor's face. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

"Then I could get sectioned!" she joked.

The Globe was showing a performance of _Love's Labor's Lost,_ so the Doctor led them inside just as it was finishing. The place was packed with people, which was a little uncomfortable considering the smell, but Martha thought it was still worth it.

Once the show ended the theatre erupted in applause as the actors took their bows. "That's amazing! Just amazing," Martha cried. "It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes," the Doctor replied, making Rose laugh.

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare." Pumping her fist in the air, she began to chant, "Author! Author!" She stopped. "Do people shout that? Do they shout 'author'?"

Though she stopped chanting, it was picked up by a man behind them before spreading through the entire crowd.

Looking around, the Doctor raised his brows, "Well…they do now."

"Way to go, Martha," Rose chuckled, giving her a thumbs up from the side.

The crowd cheered even louder when the man himself, William Shakespeare appeared onstage taking a bow and blowing kisses to the audience. Rose smiled at the Doctor's lit up face. Yep, always such a fanboy.

Martha narrowed her eyes at him. "He's a bit different from his portraits," she commented.

"Genius. He's a genius—_the_ genius," the Doctor praised, bringing the girls closer so they could hear him over the wild cheers. "The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

And those brilliant words said by the man himself: "Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted to the crowd.

The whole crowd cheered loudly again with laughs, except for the Doctor. Rose saw his enthusiasm fade into disappointment, and couldn't stop herself from laughing hysterical. "What a way with words, I like him."

He let out a sigh. "Oh, well." Rose leaned over and patted his arm.

Martha shrugged with a small smile. "You should never meet your heroes."

Shakespeare held up his arms and praised the audience. "You have excellent taste, I'll give you that," he pointed at a man in the middle of the crowd. "Oh, that's a wig!" The crowd laughed again, before he went on. "I know what you're all saying: _Love's Labor's Lost_, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon," the crowd began to chatter, "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." He bowed again and came up pretty quickly albeit…strange. Then he continued, "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it _Love's Labor's Won!_"

Rose twitched a little inside at that. "Doctor, something doesn't feel right," she whispered to him.

He nodded. "I know, I felt it too."

The crowd began to thin out, so the three of them started to leave. "I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of _Love's Labour's Won_," Martha said.

"Exactly—the lost play," the Doctor explained. "It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up, and no one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it, sell it when we get home and make a mint," she suggested.

Both the Doctor and Rose turned to her with serious expressions. He shook his head. "No."

"That would be bad?"

"Yeah."

Rose nodded. "_Very_ bad."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

"Well…" he drawled, "I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS," he glanced at Rose, who rested her chin on his shoulder and smiling sweetly at him. Oh, it was hard to resist that lovely smile of hers. "But…I suppose we could stay a _bit_ longer."

Rose sensed another mystery and knew without a doubt the Doctor was just aching to solve it. "You know you can't resist investigating, you're far too curious, right Shake?" she teased.

He grinned at her. "You know it, Shiver."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor led them to an inn, the Elephant Inn, which happened to be the very one Shakespeare would stay at whenever he was in town. Of course Rose knew how excited the Doctor would be once he was at an arm's length with the legendary playwright. Walking up the stairs they found room with an open door where Shakespeare sat by a desk and was with two of the actors from the play.

Knocking on the open door, the Doctor smiled. "Hello! Excuse me, I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no," Shakespeare shook his head and held his head in his hands. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove—" he stopped talking once he noticed Rose and Martha stepping in the room and stand with the Doctor. He gave a small smile at them, "Hey, nonny nonny," he gestured at the seats near the desk, "Sit right down here next to me," he waved off the actors, "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

Once the actors left, muttering about Shakespeare finding 'new muses,' the girls moved to sit down, the Doctor right between them.

"Sweet ladies," the playwright said with an appreciative look, as he eyed them. "Such unusual clothes. So…fitted."

The Doctor lightly moved his chair a little closer to Rose and she inwardly giggled. Apparently he doesn't appreciate someone else flirting with her even if it was someone he admired like William Shakespeare himself. He was so loving and protective. She placed a hand on his knee to make him relax.

Martha smiled shyly at the man. "Um, verily, forsooth, egads."

"No…no, don't do that. Don't," the Doctor said softly before turning back to Shakespeare. Reaching in his jacket he pulled out the psychic paper and showed it to the man while wrapping his arm around Rose's shoulders. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS," he nodded at the girls, "This is my wife, Dame Rose, and our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

Shakespeare placed a hand to his chin as he studied the paper. "Interesting, that bit of paper—it's blank."

The Doctor smiled softly. "Oh, that's…very clever," he glanced at Rose. "That proves it. Absolute genius."

Martha looked at the paper, confused. "No, it says so right there," she pointed at it and read the words written on it. "Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare insisted with a smile.

"Psychic paper," the Doctor told her, closing it and putting it away. "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch."

Rose leaned over to Martha and said quietly, "It basically shows someone what you want them to see." Martha nodded and the Doctor smiled at her when she leaned back, putting his arm back around her.

Shakespeare looked thoughtful. "Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade." He leaned back and flitted his eyes between the Doctor and Rose. "Who are you two exactly? More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" He asked leaning up to look at Martha

"What did you say?" she said, shocked.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric…?"

She laughed lightly and turned to the Doctor and Rose. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

The Doctor rubbed his eye with his finger. "It's political correctness gone mad. Uh, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

A loud voice called from the outside before coming into the room. "Excuse me! Hold hard a moment." They turned to see a large man standing by the door. "This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round," Shakespeare mumbled, annoyed.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is canceled," the man said. "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, _Love's Labours Won _will never be played." The man walked out of the room as the three travelers turned back to Shakespeare who snorted.

"Lynley. He has a far greater love of power than art," he commented.

"Well, then…mystery solved," Martha said. "That's _Love's Labor's Won_over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know…more mysterious." That was a little disappointing.

Rose felt another twitch inside and shivered. The Doctor noticed and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. She had a bad feeling and she was certain that he could tell. Her uneasy feeling was confirmed when then they heard a scream come from outside. In a flash the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as they raced out of the room, with Martha and Shakespeare following. Once outside they caught sight of Lynley staggering around a group of bystanders, watching in horror and confusion as the man was coughing up globs of water as he gasped.

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor asked himself quietly as they approached the man passing through the bystanders. "Leave it to me—I'm a doctor."

Martha caught up with them and rushed to the man's side. "So am I, near enough."

"Oh, God," Rose said. She saw a woman dressed in white trembling in fear. Walking over to her she tried to calm her down, briefly ignoring the twitchy feeling she got once she approached her. "I know this is unusual, but try to relax, okay? We'll find out what's wrong with him."

The woman nodded and visibly shook. "It's…scary. He just started out of nowhere! What if any of us are next?"

"What's your name?"

"Dolly Bailey, I'm the innkeeper," the woman answered.

"Don't be afraid, Dolly," Rose soothed, "Nothing will happen to you. Just keep an eye for anything suspicious, okay? We'll take care of this."

Dolly nodded before running over to Lynley. Rose followed her and knelt beside the Doctor and Martha as they inspected the man's odd situation.

They tried to figure out what to do to help him but the man was helpless as he spit out more water before collapsing to the ground, laying down on his back and clutching his throat. The three of them just knelt by the poor man until his gasps stopped completely.

"He's dead," Rose quietly said as Lynley became still, water trickling from his mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

The Doctor studied the man with furrowed brows. "I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water—he drowned and then…" he shook his head, "I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an _invisible_ blow." He stared at him for another moment before standing up to his feet and moving over to Dolly. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors—a natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir," she said immediately doing as directed.

"This is unusual," Rose said as the Doctor crouched back down to her over the body. "Do you know what it really is?"

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," the Doctor muttered as he shook his head. "If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?" Martha asked from the other man's side.

He swallowed and flitted his eyes between the girls. "Witchcraft."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

As they all made their way back to the inn, Dolly came up to them. "I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, your wife and your companion are just across the landing," she informed.

The Doctor gave her a single nod of thanks while Rose said it aloud. "Thank you, Dolly, and remember what I told you before."

Dolly nodded. "I will. Many thanks, my lady," she turned and exited the room.

The Doctor looked at Rose curiously. "Always helping people in the midst of chaos."

She shrugged. "It's what I do."

He smiled proudly at her and pressed a kiss to her hair just as Martha stood beside them. Shakespeare had come in and sat down at his desk then began to rub his head.

"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all," he raised his head and faced Martha with a questioning look. "This land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," she replied.

He turned to the Doctor. "And you, Sir Doctor, how can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor answered evenly, making Rose hide her smile.

Shakespeare chuckled and nodded his head. "A trite reply. That's what I'd do." The Doctor gave a lopsided smile before the playwright turned to Rose. "And you, Dame Rose, there is something of the wolf about you. You burn like the Sun, and shine your golden light."

Rose smiled shyly. "Are you afraid of the big Bad Wolf, Shakespeare?"

The Doctor held in his laughter at her reply as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to place a kiss to her temple, smiling into her hair as the playwright chuckled at her response.

Martha stood on the side and watched the two of them. Clearly this must have been some kind of inside joke between them, which only led her to become even more confused than she already was. Rose had something of a wolf in her? What exactly did that mean? She also shone gold, whatever that meant. And Shakespeare said something about the Doctor having very old eyes for such a young man. He looked no more than about thirty-five, but as she has recently learned apparently nothing is as it seems. Just added more mysteries to her list involving this enigmatic couple.

"And you?" She was brought out of her thoughts as Shakespeare turned back to her. "You look at them like you're surprised they exist. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

She started to feel uncomfortable being put on the spot. "I think we should say goodnight." Martha said to them as she left to go to their room.

"I must work," Shakespeare said, nodding and looking over his papers. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and this constant performance of yours."

The Doctor glanced at Rose for a moment before saying, "All the world's a stage."

Shakespeare raised his head with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor," he nodded to Rose, "Goodnight, Rose."

She smiled as the Doctor said, "Nighty night, Shakespeare."

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Rose said once they left the room, holding the hand on his arm around her shoulders.

He shrugged. "Well, how could I resist? Didn't I do similar things when we met Dickens?"

"Oh, you literally fell head over heels with him," she joked.

"Good ol' Charlie boy," he smiled. "And that was a clever answer you gave, by the way, about Bad Wolf."

"I couldn't resist. You weren't kidding when you said he was a genius."

"Nope. Though he didn't quite mention something particular about you to me."

"Really? Care to explain?"

"Well, he said you shine, but forgot to mention that you are my shining star," he said quietly as he rested leaned his cheek on top of her head and nuzzled her hair."

Rose laughed. "Oh, God. Doctor, are you _really_ that upset that he didn't mention that?"

"No, but I _am_ upset that he was coming on to you when you're obviously taken," he answered.

She patted his back. "Someone's very protective," she sing-songed.

He chuckled. "Oh, yes."

As the Doctor and Rose finally entered their room, they weren't surprised to see how small it was—two tiny beds, two small bedside tables with a candle on one of them and large window on the wall.

Martha felt their presence and turned around. "Not exactly five star, is it?"

Rose shrugged as the Doctor observed the room and stood by the window to look outside. "No, but we've shared smaller prison cells than this," she said.

"You've been in _prison_?" Martha squeaked, trying to hide her nervousness.

"No, no, not like you think," Rose said with a chuckle. "When we go to some places, sometimes we get into trouble, but not the kind that you're thinking of. Some places have very specific and strict rules like trespassing, hand-holding—"

"You two got arrested for _holding hands_?"

"Yeah, we were at…um" she trailed off, and turned to the Doctor, "Where was that, Doctor?"

"Runabla III," he answered, still gazing out of the window.

Rose nodded, facing Martha again. "That's it. They had this silly rule that if you hold hands it means you're off-worlders trying to create some kind of conspiratorial attack or something like that. When they arrested us we assured them that we made no such plans and were only visiting, but they didn't believe us and they threw us in the smallest and worst possible cells."

"Oh, they weren't _that_ bad," the Doctor piped up, turning away from the window. "There's plenty of others that are far worse than those."

"They were _lockers_, Doctor! We couldn't even _move!_ And we were there for _two days._ It took me a couple more to get the feeling back in my body from standing all that time."

"Well, yes, but at least we weren't tied upside down on a plank above a large tank of higselbucks. Believe me, you don't want that. Now _that_ is the worst—or at least worse than being shoved in a locker for two days."

Martha just stared at the two. So many mysteries, so many questions, so many wonders about this enigmatic couple. "I haven't even got a toothbrush," she commented, trying to get them back to their current stay.

The Doctor raised his brows. "Oh, hold on." He patted his jacket pockets and reached for something, pulling out a toothbrush and handing it to her. "Contains Venusian spearmint."

Martha took it and eyed the beds, which were as small as the room in general. "So, who's going where?"

The Doctor waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. You can have one to yourself," he nodded to Rose, "We can manage."

He plopped down on the bed closest to the window, laying on his back against the headboard with his hands folded on his stomach and a thoughtful expression on his face. Rose moved to sit by his feet at the edge.

Martha just remained standing as she walked over to their bed. "So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit _Harry Potter_," she said with a smile.

The Doctor looked at her and grinned. _"Wait_ 'til you read book seven! Oh, I cried." He pointed to Rose. "But she was worse."

She leaned over to swat his chest playfully and laughed. "Me? You were crying like a baby!"

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

The Doctor scoffed. "Course it isn't!"

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Pay no mind to him, Martha. He has a habit of being rude and he doesn't even realize it." She turned back to him. "What is really, Doctor?"

He shifted to cross his arms behind his head. "Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be." He glanced over to Martha who was still standing over them. "Are you going to stand there all night?"

"Oh, um, no," Martha sat down on her bed. "We were talking, so I didn't wanna interrupt you."

Rose waved her hand. "You don't have to worry about that," she gestured at the Doctor. "Like I said, this one's rude, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Oi." The Doctor gently nudged her with his foot before turning to Martha. "Get some rest, Martha. We'll be all right."

She looked at the him, confused. "You're not sleeping?"

"Nah, we don't need much sleep," he squinted his eye and looked at Rose. "Although Rose does have a habit of hibernating—"

Rose leaned over and swatted his chest again and he snickered. She gestured at him. "Budge up a bit, you're hogging the whole bed."

"I am not _hogging,_ I'm savorving as much space as possible before _you_ take it all," he threw her a teasing grin before she hit him again.

"I'll push you out and make you sleep on the floor," she threatened with a laugh. Once the Doctor scooted down from the headboard to give her room, Rose turned to Martha, "Goodnight, Martha."

"Night, you two." She turned to her side and blew out the candle as she laid down to sleep.


	10. The Shakespeare Code Part 2

**A/N: ****So as it's raining and getting icy here in Philly, I'm sitting around working more on this story. I'll be exceedingly generous to you all and give you this chapter a day early just because I feel like it. Hope you enjoy! ****Many thanks to all who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You guys light up my day :D**

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_**Chapter 10: The Shakespeare Code Part 2**_

After Martha blew out the candle the room flooded with darkness. It seemed that she was fast asleep on her bed judging by her breathing patterns and light snoring. In the meantime Rose had turned on her side to face the Doctor, who was laying on his back with his eyes to the ceiling before mirroring her position movement on the bed that they were sharing, which was incredibly small as their faces were just inches apart. If they ended up in a situation like this a year ago, this definitely would have been angsty for the both of them, all of the nervousness of initiating things that might jeopardize their friendship. Thankfully everything's changed since then, and it was anything but awkward.

Despite being in such close proximity to each other Rose could just barely see the entirety of his face in the pitch blackness of the room. However just behind him was the window which shone the moonlight over his head, a small steak of it crossing the top of his head revealing his glimmering gaze melting into hers. She could easily tell he was smiling by the crinkles appearing in the corner of his left eye. Ever since they started sharing a bed on the TARDIS she's noticed how much more peaceful he seemed, just as she had herself. Between them was so much tranquility and calmness when they held each other in their protective embrace.

Lifting her hand she gently traced over his features in the dim light, starting at his left eyebrow and descending down to his sideburn, his smattering of freckles on his cheek, and his jaw. Her forefinger brushed over his lips and she felt him press a soft kiss to the tip.

Gazing at Rose as she mapped out his facial features, the Doctor was marveled not only by how gentle and soft her touch was, but at the way the moonlight from the window behind him illuminated her face, casting the shadow of himself over her, still making her prominent in the dark. Her signature tongue-in-teeth smile spread across her face, mirroring itself onto his own. How fitting. While he was surrounded by darkness she was always there in front of him shining her angelic glow upon him, brightening him up with every glimmer in her eyes and enlightening smile.

As she brought her hand down from his face and placed it on the bed between them, he raised his own and repeated her motions on her own face equally gentle. When he made it to her lips his thumb traced her bottom one fully until she kissed the pad before he lowered his hand on the bed to rest over hers.

"What's buzzing around in that big brain of yours?" Rose asked in a whisper, so not to wake up Martha.

"Lots of things, as usual," he answered. "But I'm trying to understand what's going on around here."

She shifted her head a little on her pillow. "What do you think it is if it's not real magic?"

His eyes went back up to the ceiling as he explained his thoughts quietly. "There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that, not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No…" He brought his eyes back to Rose and shifted again, moving a hair closer to her until their noses almost bumped. "There's something I'm missing, Rose. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it." He gave her a lopsided grin and brought his hand back to her face. "And I'm not referring to you, I see _you_ perfectly clear."

Rose smiled softly at him and leaned into his touch as he caressed her cheek. "I don't know for sure, but it definitely ties with Shakespeare and the play. I felt a twitch just at the name _Love's Labour's Won,_ remember? You felt it too, like something…wrong. And right before we ran out of the room when Lynley died, I felt a chill and you sensed that. Then it happened again when I went up to calm Dolly, I felt uneasy. Something seems a bit off with all of it, so they've gotta be connected. It's just too unusual."

The Doctor smiled proudly. His brilliant Rose, always pointing out the things he missed, always helping him out. "This is why I need you, Rose. You always notice the little things—always saying the right things."

She brought up her own and mirrored his position before sliding her hand behind his head, gently rubbing the nape of his neck and threw him a teasing grin. "Is that really all I'm good for?"

A chuckle escaped his nose. "Definitely not."

He closed what little space was left between them and captured her lips with his own, smiling against them as she let out a content sigh. Her hand came to rest on his cheek as she lightly brushed over his sideburn. The kiss was brief, but once he pulled back it only took another soft yet heated gaze at each other until they slowly came together again like two magnets locking on. The angle was a little off as their noses were smashed against each other and their teeth clinked, but Rose fixed that by shifting a bit to raise herself up on her forearm to lean over him a little. He hummed in approval.

Not wanting her to strain her neck, the Doctor moved his hand from the back of her head down to her shoulder and pushed her gently down onto the pillow on her back as he hovered over her slightly. He brought his opposite hand up to fully cup her face and angle it just right to deepen the kiss. She happily reciprocated once his tongue glided in and met hers, letting out a soft moan and burying one hand in his hair. He bit back on the low growl that bubbled in his chest and nipped at her upper lip.

Rose fisted his jacket with her opposite hand on his side as she pulled him to lay on top of her fully and he sighed through his nose. Her breath hitched when he brought one of his legs to sling over hers, balancing himself on his forearms as they moved their tongues together in languid strokes, their movements in tandem with his fingers on her sides. His thumbs peeked under the hem of her shirt and massaged her skin tenderly. Even though they weren't being rough with each other in their movements, the bed proved to be extremely rebellious as it creaked somewhat loudly.

This was definitely _not_ the place to be doing this, given it was such close quarters with their new friend asleep in the bed right next to them, but because of the closeness of themselves sharing the small bed, this was pretty much expected. As they would never take this too far unless they were both ready—which they both knew they _were_, but still worried they moved too fast. They knew that when the time should come for them to take their relationship up to the next level physically and intimately, it would be in the privacy of their room in the TARDIS, their _home, _and it was going to be special, he would make sure of it.

Seeming to be on the same page they simultaneously broke the kiss as the Doctor lowered his forehead on hers while they both caught their breaths. Once his respiratory bypass kicked in he opened his eyes and saw her own boreing into his. It still was overwhelming how this lovely pink and yellow human—well, genetically enhanced human now—could create such an effect on him, a _Time Lord._ No doubt if they were still around they'd definitely look down on him with such disdain for falling in love with her. He grinned at the thought of that. Their love was like the sweetest sin, and he enjoyed every second of it. He _was_ always sort of a rebel.

After a moment they both broke into a short round of quiet, breathless giggles. They both glanced over and were relieved to see Martha still sound asleep and softly snoring. Not that what they were doing was anything too inappropriate. Still it would be wrong to do such an activity in front of their new friend. They knew better than that, they just needed to control themselves a little more. Hopefully.

Carefully rolling off of her and not to disturb Martha with the creaking bed, as well as muttering his indifference to the noisy piece of furniture, the Doctor laid back on his side while Rose turned to face him again. Her lips were slightly swollen and parted as she caught her breath and he almost submitted to her again.

Rose moved closer to pillow her head on the Doctor's chest, the double rhythm of his hearts thumping in her ear. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his warmth. His own came around her as one arm slung over her waist and the other over her shoulder, his hand stroking her hair.

"You really didn't answer my question," she breathed out.

"Do I really have to?" he asked with a smile.

Rose brought a hand to his chest and laid it over his left heart. "No, but you left me guessing other possible answers."

He lifted his head up to look down at her, caressing her scalp with his fingers and appreciating the tingling sensation he felt as he brushed her temple. "Well, you're brilliant at…basically a _lot,_ so to explain every single reason why, then you'd be here for a while."

She lifted her head up to look at his face. "I'm not going anywhere."

That lovely happy sound she adored so much came from his throat as he nuzzled her hair. "Still though, I have an idea of what exactly might be going on around here, but it's very unlikely…" he trailed off and fell back onto the pillow.

"We'll figure this out, Doctor," she whispered, laying her head back on his chest. "We always do."

A few moments of calm silence followed as they lay together in each other's arms. No doubt the Doctor was pondering possible suspects and whatnot to explain the mysterious incidents occurring. Rose just closed her eyes to listen to the thumping of his hearts, but she suddenly felt another chill shoot down her spine and immediately opened her eyes. Something was wrong again.

Her feelings were once again proven right when the silence was soon disrupted when a loud scream suddenly belted out. In an instant the Doctor and Rose ran to the door with a now fully awake Martha following. Going down the hall they stopped by Shakespeare's room and saw Dolly lying on the floor.

The window behind her was opened, a breeze blowing the thin curtains. Rose ran over to it as the Doctor knelt by the woman on the ground. Martha joined her and they couldn't believe what they saw. In the far distance was a dark silhouette of what looked to be a witch flying on a broomstick cackling.

"Her heart gave out," the Doctor breathed out behind them. "She died of fright."

Rose turned to him, still standing by the window. "Uh, Doctor?"

He lifted his head and got joined the girls by the window. "What? What did you see?"

Martha still gazed out of the window where the witch had been. "A witch."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The three waited until dawn and made their way back to join Shakespeare at his desk and sat. The Doctor leaned back in his chair, propping his head up as he began to think.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare said sadly. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place—we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light'," the Doctor quoted, eyes distant.

Shakespeare seemed to like the sound of the quote. "I might use that."

He glanced at the playwright. "You can't, it's someone else's."

"But the thing is," Martha spoke up, "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

Rose nodded. "Exactly."

Shakespeare was confused as he looked between the two of them with disbelief. "You're accusing_ me_?"

"No, Will, we're not," Rose said calmly. "It's just a weird coincidence how two people connected to you in some way are now gone, that's all."

Martha nodded and gestured between her and Rose. "We saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."

He looked more confused. "I have? When was that?"

The Doctor leaned over to Martha. "Not…not quite yet," he said quietly.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare mentioned.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," Rose said quietly.

The Doctor thought about that and glanced at Rose next to him. "Hold on, the architect! The architect!" He exclaimed. "The Globe! Come on!" The Doctor touched Rose's arm as he jumped out of his seat and ran out of the door, the others following.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

As they made it to the Globe theatre Rose admired its structure now that it was daylight. She sat on the stage with her legs dangling over the edge while Martha and Shakespeare stood on it, all of them watching the Doctor as he paced thoughtfully in the pit.

"The columns there, right?" He pointed up at them. "Fourteen sides."

"Why fourteen?" Rose asked curiously, swaying her feet in the air.

"I've always wondered, but I never asked," the Doctor said before turning to Shakespeare. "Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well," he answered.

"Fourteen," the Doctor repeated, counting with his fingers as he thought. "Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen…"

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet," Martha suggested.

The Doctor nodded. "So there is, good point. Words and shapes following the same design," he started pacing again, "Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets," his hands made their way into his hair as he thought out loud, "Oh, my head. Tetradecagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre!" Shakespeare piped up.

"Is it really?" Rose said, looking up in the playwright. "These people that act out are performing stories—stories with character and feeling and passion. They put in so much heart into their job to please an audience every night. All of those people crave entertainment and they cheer on when they're satisfied. It's not just a theatre to them, it's a way of life."

The Doctor walked over to Rose who sat on the edge of the stage and smiled proudly. He took her hands and placed a kiss to both of them. "Oh, you are brilliant, you are," he praised before putting hers in her lap then placing his own flat on the stage and addressing Shakespeare. "A theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know, Will. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep or cry with joy. Change them…" He paused for a moment and Rose could tell he was getting somewhere as she could practically see the gears in his head working. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. But if you exaggerate that…" he turned away and began to pace again.

"It's like your police box," Martha said, smiling. "Small wooden box with all that _power_ inside."

"Nice one," Rose commented.

"Oh." The Doctor arched his brows as he turned to their companion. "Martha Jones, I like you. Tell you what, though, Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

Shakespeare shrugged. "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, he lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Rose asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling—his mind was addled."

The Doctor moved back to the stage. "Where is he now?"

"Bedlam."

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse."

"We're going to go there. Right now." The Doctor grabbed Rose by the waist, and lifted her up, inwardly grinning at the soft squeal she made in the process, and off the stage to the ground. "Come on!" Nodding to Martha, he took Rose's hand and headed off.

"Wait!" Shakespeare called out from behind, running after them. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand."

The Doctor heard him but just kept on going with Rose by his side. "Going to an insane asylum," she commented, "Should be exciting."

"Obviously these witches have tampered with the man's mind once he saw them exposed," the Doctor said. "But the real question is _why_? What are they trying to accomplish?"

"A spell, maybe?" Rose suggested.

He considered her thought. "Hm. Could be, good thinking."

"It's why you need me, right?" she teased.

He chuckled. "Oh, you know there's _so_ many reasons," he said winking at her before turning around. "Wait a minute, where's—" he stopped when he saw Martha and Shakespeare stopped and chit-chatting. With Rose, they walked back over to them.

"I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country," they heard Martha say.

"But Martha, this is Town," he told her.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said once they reached them, "We can all have a good flirt later."

Shakespeare turned and eyed him up and down. "Is that a promise, Doctor?"

Rose barely contained her laughter as the Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh…fifty seven academics just punched the air," he muttered. "Now move!"

As they began to move, Rose tried to stifle her giggles but failed. She nudged the Doctor and teased him in a sing-song tone, "You tickled his fancy."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Stop it."

"He must've been ogling your bum when you weren't looking."

"It's this body. It's too pretty," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm not complaining," Rose said with a sweet smile.

The Doctor laughed once. "Neither am I."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Bethlehem Hospital was definitely _not_ an exciting place to visit. Regular hospitals were skin crawling enough to the Doctor and Rose, but a _mental_ hospital? It topped the list. The minute they walked in, Rose felt like gagging from the grimy stench of the poorly hygienic patients as well as the entire rotted building. The Doctor wrapped a protective arm tightly around her waist and kept her close to him as they passed the cells of the raving patients. The twisted emotions and challenged minds of these people were so strong she could almost sense it as she shivered inside.

Once the Doctor asked for Peter Streete's cell, a guard led them down a corridor. He stopped and asked him with a proud smile.

"Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

The Doctor glared at the guard and growled. "No, I don't!"

His anger made the guard quickly step back. "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies," and then he walked away.

"And hospitals are meant to heal people," Rose said with disgust.

Martha turned to Shakespeare, face full of disdain. "And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," he defended with a scoff.

"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

Shakespeare nodded once and appeared sad. "I've been mad, I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

Martha was shocked. "Mad in what way?"

Rose felt the Doctor stiffen a little beside her as he tightened his grip on her waist. "You lost your son," he said quietly.

Of course he would tense up at such a painful, personal experience he understood all too well. She brought her arm around his back and gently massaged him, his tension easing up a bit.

Shakespeare nodded. "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

Martha frowned. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It made me question everything," he said. "The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be…" he paused for a moment. "Oh, that's quite good."

Rose glanced up at the Doctor and bit back on a laugh when she saw his lips twitch. "You should write that down."

Shakespeare was thoughtful for a moment. "Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "Ehh," he said, making Rose chuckle.

The guard came back to them to say it was ready for them to come in. He led them to Peter Streete's cell and unlocked the door. The man was sitting upright on his bed with head hanging and his eyes closed.

"They can be dangerous, m'lord," the guard warned. "Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them," the Doctor gritted. "Now get out!" Once the guard left the Doctor released Rose from his grip and approached Peter slowly and knelt before him. "Peter?" he said softly. "Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare said, standing by the door with the girls. "You'll get nothing out of him."

The Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder and tried again. "Peter?"

The man's head finally snapped up and opened his eyes, which were wide and glassy and…lost. Knowing this man's mental state, he most likely wouldn't be able to perform any type of speech, so the Doctor resorted to his other method. Raising his hands and gently placing his fingers on the man's temples, the Doctor closed his eyes as he went inside the man's broken mind. It was a jumbled mess, like tangled up wires. Slowly opening in his, he spoke softly to the man.

"Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen," Peter obeyed as he began to slump. "That's it, just let go," he set him down on his bed, "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

The architect began to speak with a slight raspy voice. "Witches spoke to Peter, in the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design—_their_ design! The fourteen walls—always fourteen. When the work was done—" he giggled, "—they snapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city?" the Doctor asked. "Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

Peter hesitated at first before whispering, "All Hallows Street."

"Too many words!" A voice screeched as a figure suddenly appeared beside the Doctor, making him and the others jump. It was an old haggard woman with deep wrinkles, a large pointed nose and a mole on her slightly discolored skin, dirty gray hair that hung loosely and thin, her clothing looking like a black sheet. It was a witch.

Rose twitched as she and Martha gawked at the woman and exclaimed in unison, "What the hell?"

The witch lifted a single finger in the air. "Just one touch of the heart." She bent down and placed it on Peter's chest.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, but he was too late as Peter screamed at her touch then became silent. He was dead.

Shakespeare pointed a trembling finger at the woman. "Witch! I'm seeing a witch!"

The witch looked over the four of them, holding her finger up. "Who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

Martha turned and gripped the bars of the cell and shook them violently as she yelled, "Let us out! Let us out!"

Rose placed a hand on one of her arms. "Martha, _everyone's_ shouting that. It won't do us any good."

The witch grinned widely, showing her nasty, rotted teeth. "Who will die first, hmm?"

The Doctor shrugged and stepped forward. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."

Rose's heart stopped for a second. He sacrificing himself again. "Doctor!"

Martha cried as well. "Don't!"

"No mortal has power over me," the witch said.

"Oh, but there's a power in words," he said, pacing around, "If I can find the right one, if I can just know you…"

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," the witch sneered.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy…and, of course—" He paused to turn around and arch an eyebrow at Rose.

"Fourteen," she finished.

He nodded. _"Fourteen_—the fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration." He snapped his fingers before pointing at the woman. "Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

With that the witch gasped and screamed before disappearing.

"What the hell did you do?" Rose asked, more than relived that he wasn't harmed.

"I named he—the power of a name," he said looking over his fingers before turning to her and throwing a grin. "That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic," Martha said, shaking her head.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.

The Doctor arched his brows at Rose and pressed his lips together in a straight line. She sighed. "Of course, the usual, as always."

Martha glanced between the two. "And what exactly is 'the usual?'"

The Doctor moved next to Rose and said grimly, "The end of the world."


	11. The Shakespeare Code Part 3

**A/N: ****In case anyone noticed I changed the cover image for this story. I love messing around with photos and ended up changing the previous one. The new one looks clearer and better, at least in my opinion. I'm critical to myself in what I create, so yeah. Just thought I mention that in case someone thought they clicked on the wrong story.**

**Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! **

* * *

_**Chapter 11: The Shakespeare Code Part 3**_

The four left the Bethlehem Hospital almost immediately and made it back to the Elephant Inn up to Shakespeare's room. The Doctor had a brief suspicion the entire time that it could be the Carrionites, but as always, he thought it was impossible. But of course, that wasn't the case.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe," he explained as he paced around the room. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare commented from his desk.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth," the Doctor said. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?"

Rose thought hard as she tried to piece everything together—the mysterious deaths, the structure of the Globe theatre, making the architect insane, words with power. Words. A sudden realization came to her. "Shakespeare," she breathed out.

The others looked over at her, the playwright answering to his name. "What?"

The Doctor eyed her curiously as she glanced at him and pointed to Shakespeare. "It's Will, he's the key."

"Sorry?" the man said confused.

Something snapped in the Doctor's mind as he caught on to where she was going with this. He turned to Shakespeare and asked. "Will, what were you doing in here last night?"

"Finishing the play."

"How's it end?"

Shakespeare shrugged. "The boys get the girls, they have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual—" He paused for a moment as if he tried to remember, "Except those last few lines. Funny thing is…I don't actually remember writing them."

The Doctor nodded once. "That's it, they used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. Rose, you were right, it's a spell! Oh, brilliant!" He ran over and cupped her face then placed a quick kiss on her forehead before continuing. "_Love's Labor's Won_, it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" He ran into a back closet before popping his head back out to add, "And yes, you can have that."

He searched for a map and when he found one, he ran to the desk and laid it out. With a finger he scanned for where they needed to go.

"All Hallows Street, there it is," he said, looking up "Right, I'll take the house with Rose and Martha," he turned to Shakespeare. "Will, you take the theater. Whatever you do, stop that play."

Shakespeare nodded and shook the Doctor's hand. "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, Doctor, I know nothing."

Rose snorted. "Don't inflate his ego anymore than it is."

The Doctor shot her a look and she smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, don't complain," Martha said.

"I'm not," Shakespeare said. "It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," he said, releasing his hand and turning to the girls. "Right, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, come with me," he grabbed Rose's hand before shouting, "Once more into the breach!" He headed out the door with the girls.

"I like that," Shakespeare said, before realizing what the Doctor had quoted. "Wait a minute…that's one of mine."

"You just had to throw in another one, didn't you?" Rose joked.

All he responded with was a click of his tongue and a wink.

Rose muttered to herself as they ran outside in search for All Hallows Street, which seemed to be easier to find on the map, but apparently it was somewhat inaccurate. Luckily they turned a corner and found it

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"The thing is, though, am I missing something here?" Martha spoke up. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me and Rose, we're living proof."

Rose understood where she was coming from, since she was once in her position. "It really doesn't matter," she started. "You see, Martha, there's these creatures and other things out in the world constantly changing things in Time because it can be rewritten. But we—well, the Doctor mainly—always fix those things so that the world isn't destroyed. Does that make any sense?"

The Doctor stood by Rose and nodded at her brilliant explanation. Oh, she's learned so much. Martha, however still looked confused. Ruffling his hair, he tried to find a more simpler way of explaining it.

"Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" A thought came to him and he lowered his hand from his hair and snapped his fingers at a perfect example. "I know! _Back to the Future_. It's like_ Back to the Future_!"

"The film?" Martha asked.

The Doctor blinked once. "No, the novelization," he said with such thick sarcasm that made Rose inwardly giggle as she saw his former Northern self coming through. "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history…" he trailed off hoping she was understanding.

"And he starts fading away," she finished, before finally realizing. "Oh, my God, am I going to fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race," he told her. "It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" The Doctor looked around again as Rose tapped his arm.

"Um, Doctor," she pointed at a door to a house on the corner that suddenly thrust itself open.

The Doctor opened his mouth. "Ah."

"I think what you meant to say was _witch_ house," she said with a hint of a joke, nudging his side.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh, good one."

Approaching the house cautiously Rose felt another chill, which made her feel certain that this was definitely where the witches were, but also made her a little worried about what bad thing might happen. No, she wasn't going to think negative right now. They would fix this, just as they always did. They climbed up the flight of stairs and met a young woman standing in a small den, and judging by how she made Rose twitch, she was definitely a Carrionite.

"I take it we're expected," the Doctor called.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," she replied.

Martha tapped Rose's arm and confidently told her. "Right then, it's my turn. I know how to do this," she pointed at the witch, "I name thee Carrionite!" The witch gasped, but then began to smile as she was still standing before them. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" Martha asked the Doctor, confused.

"The power of a name works only once," the Carrionite told her. "Observe," she raised a hand to point at Martha, "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha suddenly gasped before collapsing, luckily the Doctor and Rose were right beside her and set her on the ground.

"Martha!" Rose said, studying her face and checking for her pulse. Thankfully she was alive, just unconscious.

"What have you done?" the Doctor shouted, kneeling by the girls.

"Only sleeping, alas. It's curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time." She turned her attention to the Doctor and pointed at him. "And as for you, Sir Doctor." Nothing happened. He just gave her a hard look as she studied him. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair?" A small smile grazed her lips. "Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me," he warned, standing to his feet and bringing Rose with him.

"Never said it would," she smiled wide as she turned to Rose and pointed at her. "But your little mate here is more than what meets the eye as well." She tilted her head and observed her. "Her heart burns warm, insides cold with woes, time will tell until she becomes a wilted…" she leaned closer before finishing off with a whisper."…Rose."

At mention of her name Rose gasped as another chill shot through her body and made her lightheaded. She fell to her knees holding her head, the Doctor right beside her with an arm around her midsection to hold her and…nothing else happened.

The Carrionite glared in disappointment and shock. Her magic wasn't working on them. "Impossible! Your name has merged with another and kept hidden as well! Hiding your true self beneath a golden light! That's never supposed to happen!"

The Doctor relaxed as he looked over Rose unharmed. He had a pretty good idea of what the other name was, but wasn't fully certain. Whatever it was he was thankful that the Carrionite couldn't find it. He moved a hand behind her neck and rubbed her skin gently before releasing her and glaring at the woman.

"Oh, big mistake," he ground out as he stood at full height and walked over to the woman, towering over her. "She keeps me _fighting_. The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

The woman took a quick glance over his body before turning away from him to stand up on the slightly elevated floor as she talked. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare," the Doctor said.

The Carrionite moved to the window and looked out. "His son perished. The grief of a genius—grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three," she answered. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence, and from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic," she told him as she turned to face him with a grin.

The Doctor scratched his sideburn. "Hmm…busy schedule," he commented as he stepped closer to the witch. "But first you've got to get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure," the Carrionite said in a soft voice as she moved until she was a breath away from him, the elevated floor making her eye to eye with him. She raised a hand and traced the features of his face, just as Rose had the night before. "Considering my enemy has such a _handsome_ shape."

"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me," the Doctor told her calmly, unphased by her touch. Only one person can wield such magic onto him in this way, and this witch definitely was _not_ her.

She grinned as her hand moved to the side of his head and brush over his hair, her lips ghosting over his cheekbone. "Oh, we'll see," she said seductively.

That was all Rose needed as her head finally cleared and she jumped up to stomp over to the witch. "Oi, hands off! He's taken!"

She pushed the woman away from the Doctor, but she hadn't noticed the witch had a small pair of clippers in her hand until they heard a snipping noise.

The Doctor brought a hand to his hair and furrowed his brows. "What did you do?" he asked the Carrionite who was giggling.

"Souvenir," she said happily as she held up of few of his hairs in one hand and her pair of clippers in the other.

"Well, give it back!" he shouted as they ran over to grab her, but she threw her arms up in the air and flew backwards out the window. He sighed. "Well, that's just cheating."

"Should I grab a bucket of water and make her melt?" Rose asked.

"Behold, Doctor," she called as she hovered in the air. She took out a small crocheted doll and wrapped his hairs around it. "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

"Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose felt another chill shoot through her. This isn't good. She tapped his arm to warn him. "Doctor—"

"What use is your science now?" The Carrionite interrupted as she stabbed the scissor point straight into the doll's chest, causing the Doctor to scream in pain and fall into Rose's arms. His weight was too much for her as she gently brought him to the ground. Looking up, she saw the witch fly away cackling. _Bitch witch_.

Martha began to stir as she heard a scream and cackling. When she opened her eyes she saw the Doctor lay on his back motionless on the floor with Rose by his side. "Oh, my God!" she said rushing over to them.

Rose stopped Martha with her hand before turning to the Doctor. "All right, you can stop the act now," she told him. "You have two hearts, and you're really heavy for someone so skinny."

The Doctor 'woke up' as he grinned and opened one of his eyes. "No foolin' you," he commented.

"It's not hard when I can literally see you breathing. Besides, I already had one near-heart attack with you already. I don't fancy you havin' another."

He huffed. "Too right." He moved to stand up slowly only to double over and clutch Rose's arm in pain. "Ah! I've only got one heart working," he glanced at both women with gritted teeth, "How do you people cope?" He threw his head back with his eyes shut and grunted. "I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Rose did just that and punched him. His eyes shot open wide. "Gah! _Other_ side."

_Whack._

"Now, on the back, on the back."

_Whack._

"To the left a bit."

_Whack._

He straightened up and cracked his back. "Gah, lovely. There we go. Ba-da-boom-ba!" He glanced at the girls and sniffed. "Well, what are you two standing there for? Come on, the Globe!"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Leaving the house they ran for the Globe, but stopped for a moment when they saw the sky opened up as a storm was hovering over the theatre with people all over screaming in fear.

"I guess the play wasn't stopped," Rose commented as they ran for the back door. Once inside they saw the man himself who was directed to stop the play leaning against a wall and holding his head.

"'Stop the play.' I think that was it," the Doctor shouted at Shakespeare. He glanced over at Rose who nodded before turning back to him. "Yeah, I said, stop the play!"

"I hit my head," he told them as he rubbed it.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald," the Doctor advised, making Rose stifle a laugh. Just then more screams came from the stage. "I think that's my cue!"

With that, they all ran out on the stage and saw a gaping hole in the air over the audience pit, swirling with strong winds and lightning as black silhouettes of the Carrionites flew out of it and into the sky.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Rose shouted over the chaos.

"Come on, Will!" He yelled as grabbed a fearful Shakespeare's arm and pulled him closer to them. "History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" He asked, unsure.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

He shook his head at him. "But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!" Rose exclaimed.

"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision."

The Doctor held his arm tighter for encouragement. "Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm - words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words," he brought him closer to the edge up to the swirling storm. "Do it. Improvise."

Shakespeare took another look at the three of them before taking a deep breath and began to speak, gesturing with his arm. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points…" He trailed off and turned to the Doctor for help.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" the Doctor told quickly.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" he repeated, getting back into the flow. "And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…" He trailed off again but when he looked looked back at the Doctor he was lost and didn't know what to say.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha suddenly shouted quickly.

Rose and the Doctor smiled at her before glancing at each other and simultaneously repeating it. "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare yelled.

"Good old JK!" the Doctor happily exclaimed as the swirling cloud funneled into a tornado, pulling in all of the Carrionites as well every page from the play's script. "_Love's Labor's Won_," the Doctor said as he slung an arm around both of the girls, watching it disappear into nothingness. "There it goes."

After another moment the tornado thinned out before disappearing completely. The audience were utterly gobsmacked at what had happened. Everyone breathed out in relief before applauding wildly and whistling. At the sound of cheering, the actors from the play each stood together to take their bows.

"They think it was special effects," Martha commented, smiling.

The Doctor nudged Rose's shoulder and nodded his head to the stage door. Together they ran out and headed up the stairs to the box seats. Pulling back the curtain to one of them, they noticed a crystal ball laying on the ground. Walking over to it Rose knelt down to pick it up and saw the Carrionites trying to claw their way out.

She laughed at them. "Not so powerful in there now, are ya?"

Kneeling beside her, the Doctor gingerly took it from her hands and inspected it. "No chance of escaping anymore, they're trapped in there forever."

"What're you gonna do with it?" she asked curiously.

The Doctor stood up and Rose followed suit, still studying the ball. "Oh, I've got a special place for this in the TARDIS."

She chuckled and arched a brow at him. "You're keeping it as a souvenir?"

"Why not? Has nowhere else to be," he lifted it up and grinned as the Carrionites clawed at him from inside the ball.

"You're such a hoarder," she joked.

"Oi, it's not _hoarding_," he defended. "More like _collecting_."

She snorted as they headed back down to the inn.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Beings how it was late the Doctor figured they could stay for the night and head off in the morning—well, technically speaking it was already morning, so they'd be off at daylight. Martha would be going back home, so she needed as much rest as she could get. He wasn't too surprised when Rose fell asleep right away. Though her cycle could be pushed back like his own, she was still exhausted over the last couple days, so he just let her have a peaceful slumber.

Instead of staying with her the whole night, he left the inn for a brief walk to the Globe. So much has happened during their visit here that he needed to clear his head for a little bit. The streets were quiet and unoccupied, the only sounds were the scuffing of his trainers and light brushing of the bottom of his coat across the dirt paths. He stopped to gaze up at the theatre, and even in the moonlight it was magnificent. Rounding to the back, the Doctor slowly walked in and shuffled across the stage, his soles squeaking against the wood. The place was bathed in darkness, all except for the brightness from the moon hanging high above like a spotlight in the sky, shining directly on him.

Standing in the center of the stage the Doctor lifted his head and stared into the darkness of the bleachers and seats, letting his mind wander off into various places, which was a given expectation in this kind of environment. Stories have been told here—stories of triumph, and failures, and love, and loss. So many emotions could be displayed in this very building. Burying his hands in his deep pockets, he couldn't stop himself from delving deep into the recesses of his mind as he stared blankly into nothingness.

Here he was once again, surrounded by the dark, something he's grown accustomed to for so long being on his own. When no one else was around he could always depend on the shadows comforting him. Sad as it was he sometimes felt a strange sense of serenity when wrapped up tightly in its welcoming embrace. He was never looking for anything in particular, just traveling in mystery, not knowing what was ahead of him. Days like those haven't occurred for a while now, which was good, but he still felt some kind of unexplainable emptiness within.

Even before the war he had felt a hole deep inside of himself just aching to be filled, but he never understood what it was exactly. For so, so long he contemplated the thought of what was pushing him further, wondering whether or not anything was worthy, or purposeful - wondering what exactly was keeping him going on when there wasn't anything special waiting for him in his path. Of course the TARDIS was always with him, but he always wanted a helping hand to lead him through the darkness with a clearer mind, someone to give his long life some kind of meaning.

And then he met a certain pink and yellow human…

It was like he was touched by a light—an angel that illuminated his darkness, chasing away the shadows and the demons and everything else hidden away deep inside. Somehow, some way, she took one look at him and had his hearts right from the beginning. She saw right through him and picked at the guilt eating away at him with ease and healed him. Every day with her felt like an old wound was being patched up, but he had too many scars that needed healing that would never fade. They'd stay for as long as he lives, no matter how many times he changes. But the determination in this young woman forced any and all doubts out aside and chucked them away.

Looking down at his feet the Doctor saw a faint yellow light approaching him from behind. He hadn't heard anyone following him, but someone knew where he would be. Turning around he was greeted not by a stranger, but by the one person who did the impossible to him in so many ways, and he couldn't help but smile warmly.

Rose walked slowly over to him, her footfalls soft and quiet, with a candlestick in her hand and an equally, if not brighter, smile. Just like Shakespeare had said—always shining her golden light, and that's exactly what she doing right now. Her beauty was illuminating along with the candlelight, her hair giving off an angelic glow as it cascaded down her shoulders. She had looked the same as she did on the night they opened up their feelings to each other on Noel when they kissed passionately for the very first time underneath the magical mistletoe by the fireplace. The beginning of something new yet something that's been lingering inside both of them for a long time.

Once she made it to him he arched and eyebrow at her. "You lost?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "I knew where I was going."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

Rose shrugged and looked around the Globe. "You were fanboying over this place when we got here, and I know this seems like somewhere you'd wander around in. It's very you."

He let out a deep breath. "Well…I suppose it is. Thought you were asleep."

"I was, but I realized you were gone. And that bed isn't really something to sleep on."

"I was gonna come back, it's just I needed to, you know…walk around for a bit."

"No, it's fine. I really didn't even need that much sleep anyway," she said, placing the candlestick down on the floor beside them.

He chuckled. "I see you're improving, then."

She smiled at him. "Shut up." Stepping closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's this for?" he asked, wrapping his own around her waist.

"You need to know that you're not alone," she whispered.

"What?"

"I know you, Doctor. I know when you have your moments like this—some guilt and sadness comes over you and then you wander around with that distant look in your eyes. But I told you before, you shouldn't keep beating yourself up whenever those feelings return. You've got me."

"I know," he said softly. "But I don't want to—"

Pulling back a fraction, Rose placed her hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say what I think you're gonna say. I promised you that I'd take away whatever pain you feel inside. I know I'll never take it all away, but you can always let me in whenever."

Rassilon, how does she do it? He always knew Rose was anything than just ordinary, but she always proved to him why he needed her—she was his savior, his healer, and so much more.

She removed her hand from his mouth and brought it back with its twin to the back of his head into his hair, bringing him down to her lips as he gently pulled her closer to him by the waist. The kiss was slow as they savored each other's taste, every millimeter of their mouths. Both of the Doctor's hands were splayed on the small of her back as he held her while Rose tugged at his locks. He growled as he brought a hand up to her jaw before thrusting it in her silky, golden hair, plunging his tongue deeper in her mouth once she moaned softly.

Sometimes the Doctor needed a reminder that she was really here with him to stay, just to know that he wasn't dreaming. He never felt he deserved someone as amazing and patient as Rose in his hectic life, but all the same he was grateful that he was given the greatest gift the universe had to offer. He thanked every god he didn't believe in for this precious girl—the only thing he ever really believed in.

They broke the kiss when they were breathless and leaned their foreheads together. Rose looked up at him, bringing a hand down to his chest and poking him. "No witch will _ever_ experience that, no matter how much they flirt with you."

The Doctor gave her a lopsided grin. "I didn't see you get so protective when Shakespeare flirted with me."

"That was different."

"How so?"

Rose smiled. "It just was. Are you bragging?"

"No, no, I was just mentioning it, is all."

He tucked her head under his chin as he kept her close. They remained in their warm embrace for a few moments before Rose asked, "Doctor, what did the Carrionite mean when she said my name is hidden?"

"I don't know but she must have sensed Bad Wolf," he answered. "Now that your system adjusted to the Huon particles, everything that you are merged with them and made you more advanced. That's why she couldn't use her magic on you—you were too powerful."

"So…is that my actual name then?"

"'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,'" the Doctor quoted softly.

Rose swatted his chest playfully at his words and laughed. "You've been saving that all day, haven't you?"

He grinned unashamedly. "I guess I had one more." Pulling back, he scrunched his nose. "I couldn't resist."

She laughed again. "But doesn't that mean a name doesn't matter because the person would still be the same?"

"Why yes it does! Gold star for you," he exclaimed.

"So are you saying that Bad Wolf is my name?"

"No, Rose. Bad Wolf isn't your name, but it is a part of who you are. It protects you."

"Just like you?" She asked sweetly.

He chuckled and placed a kiss to her nose. "Exactly. Besides, I wanted to quote Shakespeare with 'rose' in it, and that's the most popular one."

"Fanboy," she commented before bringing him down for another kiss.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Morning came and Martha joined Shakespeare at the Globe, sitting on the stage while the Doctor and Rose rummaged around backstage. She hadn't seen much of them after they saved the world from witches. When the actors came out to take their bows onstage they had just disappeared. Later that night she did see them come back to their guest room and lay down together on their bed, but when she woke up they were gone. Of course, the Doctor said that they don't need much sleep, maybe they walked around the Town or…maybe they did _other_ activities.

No, that was inappropriate of her to think of her friends in that way. But she couldn't help but think like that given the way they look at each other. It's kind of obvious that they're a couple.

"…and I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer," Shakespeare said with a laugh, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Martha smiled. "I don't get it," she said honestly.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"Okay." She thought of anything and then something popped into her head. "Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi, mate, you're bard.'"

It seemed to work as he laughed. "It's brilliant! Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that…" he placed his hand on her back and pulled her closer to him. "Come here."

She smiled shyly. "I've only just met you."

"The Doctor will never kiss you, not while he has his Rose," he said.

That was wasn't interested in him, not when he already has someone. Granted, he's handsome, there was no denying that, and charismatic, but Rose is his mate, and Martha just wasn't that type of person. Just looking at the two of them one can see how perfect and beautiful they look together. Besides, Rose was very nice and friendly, and she wouldn't dare try to make a move on someone who is unavailable.

"Why not entertain a man who will?" Shakespeare finished as he leaned over to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink."

"Good props store back there!" came the Doctor's voice as he and Rose strolled out from the back onto the stage. He wore a white cuff around his neck and carried several items in his arms while Rose had some kind of red hat on her head and a fake sword in her hand.

Rose gestured at the Doctor. "This one is worse than a five year old," she said with a smile, and Martha laughed. "He was reciting words to a skull."

"What's wrong with that? It's a clever idea, wouldn't you say? Full of emotion, just what a good performance needs." He placed down all of the items and held up a large animal skull. "I'm not sure about this though," he added, showing it to Rose.

"Aww, our very first Christmas. So many memories," she said with a giggle and a nostalgic expression.

Martha and Shakespeare just stared at them. "Sorry?" he said.

"Remember the spaceship on Christmas, Martha?" The Doctor asked, showing her the skull. "This guy sort of looks like them—the Sycorax."

Martha gaped. They were there too? Knowing them they were probably there when that spaceship crashed into Big Ben as well.

"Sycorax," Shakespeare said thoughtfully. "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on ten percent," the Doctor said, placing the skull down with the pile of items. "How's your head?"

"Still aching."

"Here, try this. The Doctor took off the ruff from his neck and put it on Shakespeare. "Neck brace," he told him. "Should help. Wear that for a few days till it's better."

"Although you might wanna keep it," Rose suggested, gently nudging the Doctor in the ribs. "It suits you." They each shared a quick glance before looking back over at the playwright.

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone. I looked all over—every single copy of_ Love's Labor's Won_ went up in the sky," the Doctor informed.

Shakespeare sighed. "My lost masterpiece."

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance at each other. Definitely not a good idea. "Uh, I don't think that would be a good idea, Will," Rose told him.

"There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten," the Doctor added.

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," Shakespeare said. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

Martha's brows shot up at the name. "Hamnet?"

"That's him."

"Ham_net_?"

"What's wrong with that?" he asked defensively.

"Anywaaaay, time we were off," the Doctor cut in holding up the crystal ball with the trapped Carrionites. "I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity," he gestured to Martha, "and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."

Shakespeare eyed him. "You mean travel on through time and space."

The Doctor looked startled. "You what?"

"You're from another world like the Carrionites," he said matter-of-factly. "Martha is from the future, out of her time. And Rose," he squinted an eye at Rose and tilted his head, "She's something else, something more. She's from the future as well, and also isn't all that she seems. But no matter where she was birthed, one thing is certain that her rightful place is by your side, Doctor," he finished with a smile. "It's not hard to work out."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out. He _was_ clever.

The Doctor shook his head, stunned before grinning. "That's incredible. You are _incredible_."

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor," Shakespeare said, nodding to him before reaching for Rose's hand and kissing the back of it, making her blush. He then turned to Martha and held her hand. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady."

The Doctor arched his brows at Rose. She leaned over to him and whispered, "You don't think he's gonna—"

She was cut off when the playwright began his sonnet. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate—"

"Will, you'll never believe it," a voice shouted from the entrance. Two of the actors from the play came running in. "She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town," the other said. "She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty. She's here," they informed as a fanfare began to play, followed by a royal entrance.

The Doctor's eyebrows shot to his hairline and smiled happily at who entered the Globe. "Queen Elizabeth the First!" he exclaimed.

Queen Elizabeth noticed him and glared daggers. "Doctor!" she said angrily.

"What?" He said, confused.

Rose chuckled then nudged his side and whispered with a small smile, "What'd ya do?"

The Queen turned her fiery gaze to her. "And his little temptress of a wife!"

Now Rose was confused as her smile vanished. "What?"

"Where is the rest of your brood?"

"Our what?"

"My sworn enemies. Off with their heads!"

They both shouted indignantly in unison. "What!?"

Martha stood up quickly. "Never mind what, just run!" There was no need to tell them twice. They dashed to the stage door. "See you, Will, and thanks!" Martha yelled.

"Stop that pernicious duo!" they heard the queen shout while Shakespeare laughed in the background.

They darted through the streets, swerving around crowds of people and side carts while soldiers ordered for them to stop as they chased them. Thankfully the TARDIS was close by to make their escape.

"What'd you two do that upset her?" Martha asked.

"How should I know?" the Doctor answered reaching for his key and unlocking the door. "Haven't met her yet. That's time travel for you."

Martha immediately went in, followed by Rose, but she stood at the door frame and smiled. "Looks like we have something to look forward to, Doctor."

He grinned. "I know! I can't wait to find out." Just as he turned, he saw one of the soldiers shoot an arrow from a bow. "Oh!"

He tackled Rose as he pushed his way in to shut the door behind them, just missing the arrow as it stuck to the TARDIS on the outside. The Doctor leaned his back against the door and began to laugh hysterically with Rose joining him.


	12. Gridlock Part 1

**A/N: ****Many thanks to all who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation! And to the few guest reviewers, while I can't respond directly to you, just know that you're also amazing and I adore you as well. Thank you! :D**

**Oh, and this is specifically for _Candy thy Cutie:_ If you're hearing this, thank you so much! I hope you're doing okay, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Much love! -Angie ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Gridlock Part 1**_

"I can't believe we're gonna be enemies of Queen Elizabeth the first!" Rose exclaimed as the Doctor helped her stand fully to her feet.

"What a laugh!" the Doctor cried happily, jogging up to the console.

Rose followed, still laughing. "Why is it that we have such a horrible track record with royalty?"

"Well, we do have a habit of not abiding by the rules, and when it comes to people of such high power, we're bound to get ourselves into some kind of mischief." He moved around the console, twisting and turning controls.

Martha sat on the jump seat and flitted her eyes between the two, shocked. "You've met _other_ royals?"

"Oh, here and there," the Doctor answered. "Not too often. We don't always make a habit out of it."

"Very lordly of you," she commented with a small smile.

"What did we do that made us her sworn enemies?" Rose asked.

He stopped and pointed a finger at her. "What _will_ we do that'll make us her sworn enemies," he corrected with a grin.

She waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah, you know what I meant."

"Don't know. We'll just have to wait until it happens, Rose."

"Well I'm curious to know why the hell I was called a _temptress _of a wife," she said.

"So am I," the Doctor mumbled.

Rose overheard him and smiled, "What was that, Doctor?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know what we'll do, but Rose, you have to admit you _can_ be a bit distracting."

"What!? I don't go around flirtin' with people. If anything, _you_ are the seductive one."

His eyebrows shot up. "Me!?" His voice squeaked in an unmanly manner, then he cleared his throat. "That's unintentional."

She crossed her arms. "You saying you don't?"

He ignored answering her question and did what he always did—changing the subject. "Anywaaay, just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home," he informed. He tilted his head and looked over to Martha, who was grinning at them as they conversed. "Although…I suppose we could stretch the definition—take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?"

Martha smiled. "No complaints from me!"

Moving over to stand at the console beside the young med student, Rose asked, "How'd you feel about meeting William Shakespeare?"

"Oh, it was amazing! Almost like a realistic dream," she exclaimed. "Do you both live your lives like that every day?"

Rose bit her lip and gave her the same answer she had given Donna when she asked: "Not all the time." She smiled at her before turning to the Doctor. "Where'd you have in mind, Doctor?"

He glanced up at them with a smile. "How about a different planet?"

Martha's face lit up. "Can we go to yours?"

Rose saw how his smile started to slowly falter, which led to her own disappearing. She noticed that familiar saddened look creeping into his eyes as he averted his gaze and returned his focus on the console.

"Ah, there's plenty of other places," he said casually, hiding his solemnity just as he always did.

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look," Martha said lightly. "What's it like?"

"Martha…" Rose began quietly. She tried to warn her that it wasn't really safe territory to walk on when it came to the Doctor. It was too painful and personal for him.

He didn't seem to stop himself though from saying, "Well, it's beautiful, yeah."

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" Martha said, still smiling at him.

He sniffed, his hands stilled on the console and eyes staring at them. "I suppose it is."

Not noticing his discomfort, Martha just continued in wonder, walking away from the console and gesturing her hands in the air. "Great big temples and cathedrals?"

The Doctor blinked once, his voice quiet. "Yeah."

Rose moved to stand close to him for comfort as Martha continued with her imagination. "Lots of planets in the sky?"

Lifting his head, a small smile appeared on his face but it couldn't reach his eyes as he reminisced. "The sky's a burnt orange," he began. "With the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow…" he trailed off as his eyes met Martha's briefly before returning his gaze to his hands and toying with a button on the console.

As the images of Gallifrey came to her mind, Rose couldn't help but imagine its beauty as he had described it. She had always thought it was beautiful, but knew she'd never be able to see it in real life—just like him. Very rarely did the Doctor mention anything of his home, and whenever he did the pain was perfectly visible when he would. It hurt her deeply that he could never go back, that he lost so much, so many people, which was why she told him she'd always be with him for comfort whenever those wounds would be reopened, so he could understand he wasn't alone anymore.

Not as long as she was by his side, which was guaranteed to be forever.

Rose placed a hand over one of his and squeezed it, reminding him of that certainty and reassuring him that he wasn't alone. She saw his eyes quickly glance over to her face as she watched him. He stopped fiddling with the button on the console and let out a low sigh that only she heard, turning his hand over to return the gentle squeeze while brushing his thumb softly over the backs of her fingers.

Martha stood on the other side of the console and stared at them. "Can we go there?" she asked breathlessly.

How she wished they could. Rose attempted to divert from the topic when it started up, but she needed to end it right now. It wasn't Martha's fault, she just didn't know. "The thing is Martha, we—"

"Nah!" The Doctor flipped his switch and returned to his manic self, just as he always did. "Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home." He released Rose's hand to fiddle with the controls, putting the TARDIS in-flight. "Instead, this is much better." They landed with a light jolt as the Doctor ran over to the coral strut to retrieve his coat while explaining. "Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."

"Congrats for repeating that so easily," Rose said with a smile, following him to grab her jacket.

He lifted his chin and sniffed. "Thanks! I've wanted to say that again," he turned to Martha, "It's one of the most dazzling cities ever built." He nodded his head to the doors. "Go on, ladies first." His hand was on Rose's back as he led her and Martha outside—into the pouring rain.

Martha yelped at the surprise and zipped up her jacket, scowling. "Oh, that's nice! Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Could be worse," Rose commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Bit of rain never hurt anyone," the Doctor said nonchalantly as he came out of the TARDIS to join them. He turned to pull out the arrow that was still stuck on the door and observed it briefly before tossing it aside. "Come on, let's get under cover!" Grabbing Rose's hand they took off into the streets with Martha catching up.

This wasn't the New Earth that Rose had been to, or at least the same part. This section was very urbanized and somewhat ghetto. Rubbish was thrown on the ground in piles, large boxes were lining the streets, pieces of laundry hung loosely on clotheslines, and the air was…bland. Definitely a major turn around from last time.

An awning hung over a wall, which they quickly ducked under to avoid the rain. "Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha said critically, looking around the area. "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Yeah, where's the apple grass?" Rose asked. "And the flying cars, and the beautiful scenery?" She turned to the Doctor. "You sure you landed us in the right place?"

He arched a brow. "Questioning my driving again, Rose Tyler?"

"Well, if I made a list of how many times we've—"

"Oh, hold on, hold on," he looked around and spotting a small screen on the wall behind them. He took out the sonic and tried to operate it. "Let's have a look." The screen turned on and showed static. With his hand the Doctor smacked it and the picture cleared, showing a woman's face.

**"—**_**and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway,**_**"** the woman reported before fading. The next clip that came up was a view of the city, and it was exactly as Rose remembered—the vast hills of apple grass by the coast of a shimmering blue river bordering the tall buildings and the cars flying by overhead.

She pointed to the screen and smiled. "That's it, right here. We landed just over there by the hill and laid out on the grass—" she looked up at the Doctor, "—where the new new Doctor went on his usual lecturing about the city, and the planet…" she trailed off at the memory.

The Doctor hummed. "That was an amazing day…very thrilling, eh?"

He looked down at Rose and smiled. Truth be told it was one of the best days he's ever had—minus the diseased processed humans, cat nuns, and that flab of skin. Everything was beginning anew—he just regenerated and that was their first trip together in this incarnation. Now look how far they've come. A lot's changed since their last trip, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Coming out of his memories he glanced back at the streets. "This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You've brought me to the slums?" Martha asked flatly.

"Much more interesting!" the Doctor cried happily as he turned around. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"Yeah, rubbish and broken down appliances, right?"

"Of course! All sorts of stuff. You don't find any of that in the posh sections."

Rose chuckled. "Obviously."

Martha smiled at the two. "You both would enjoy anything,"

The Doctor grinned. "That's us!" They heard less raindrops over their heads on the awning as the rain eased up. Holding out a hand he grinned a little wider. "Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!"

"So why're we coming back here?" Martha asked, looking around as the rain stopped.

"Oh…we didn't get much chance to explore last time," the Doctor answered.

"Thank Cassandra for that," Rose muttered.

Martha raised a questioning brow. "Who's that?"

"Oh, just a bitchy trampoline, that's all you need to know," she answered as she waved her hand while the Doctor smirked at her.

Martha stared at them. "You two never make any sense, you know that?"

"That's us," he repeated, taking Rose's hand. "C'mon."

Stepping out from underneath the awning, they walked a few steps when a top of one of the large boxes opened up like a vendor's cart, revealing a man smiling wide. "Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers!" another voice shouted from behind. They turned and saw another cart open. "Customers! We've got customers!"

More and more carts began to open as the vendors shouted over each other to sell their products.

"What the hell?" Rose said, eyeing the vendors.

"We're in business!" another shouted directly at them. "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"No, thanks," the Doctor answered with a frown, uninterested.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they're selling moods," he said quietly.

"Same thing, isn't it?"

The attention drawn to them was redirected to a young woman dressed in black. She made her way over to one of the carts, the three travellers watching.

"And what can I get you, my love?" the vendor asked the sulking woman.

"I want to buy Forget."

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's a swain," the vendor shook her head before reaching behind her to pick out a small circular patch and showing the woman. "Try this, Forget Forty-three. That's twopence."

After paying, the young woman turned away with the patch and stared at it in her hand as she walked away. Rose went up to her for answers. "Excuse me, what happened to your parents?" she asked softly.

"They drove off," the woman answered.

"But they might drive back, yeah?"

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

"But they couldn't have gone far, I mean, it's only a motorway. You could find them," she gestured back at the Doctor and Martha behind her. "My friends and I, we could help you."

The young woman discarded her reasoning and frowned. Looking down at the patch, she lifted it and pressed it on her neck.

"No, no," the Doctor stepped forward to stop her. "Don't—"

The woman raised her head and appeared neutral. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Your parents," the Doctor reminded. "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry, I won't keep you." With that the woman walked away, both the Doctor and Rose watching her go.

"That's new," Rose commented.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future," Martha said from behind. "Off their heads on chemicals."

Suddenly she screamed, causing both the Doctor and Rose to whip their heads around. They were met with a man and a woman each holding a gun—the man holding it to Martha as he grabbed her and the woman pointing it towards them.

Holding their hands up in a surrender, they tried to approach the kidnappers to get Martha back. both held their hands up in surrender. "No, let her go!" Rose yelled.

"I'm warning you, let her go!" the Doctor shouted.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all," the man said sincerely.

"Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

Everyone was shouting over each other, but the man backed up to an open door, just as the woman cried. "I'm sorry!" and dashing out the door.

"Martha!" Rose screamed as they ran to the door. She grabbed the knob and found it locked.

"Watch out," the Doctor whipped out the sonic and unlocked the door before they chased after the kidnappers through a dark tunnel.

"Doctor, what do they mean they need three?" She asked as they ran.

"We won't know 'til we catch them!"

They reached the end of the tunnel and into the light, but no one was there. Running over to the railing they saw a car hovering in the air. "MARTHA!" They both screamed as the vehicle zoomed away.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Quickly making their way back to the streets, Rose could easily sense his frustration. Two strangers just kidnapped Martha and carjacked her, speeding away to somewhere. They made it back to the stalls and the Doctor walked up to the first one he saw, pounding on the top.

The vendor that came out was the one who sold the Forget patch to that young woman. "Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the motorway," answered another vendor.

"Looked like carjackers to me."

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again," another vendor spoke.

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"That woman said that," Rose cut in. "And the man said something about them needing three. What does that mean?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," the vendor answered. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway," the Doctor said, "How do I get there?"

The vendor pointed in the direction. "Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it—"

Not wasting another second, they made their way down the alley while the vendor called from behind. "How about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my loves."

Stopping in his tracks, the Doctor turned to face all of the vendors. "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?" one asked.

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well—and we will find her alive and well—then we're coming back, and this street is closing tonight!"

Rose grabbed his hand as they made their way to the end of the alley until they found another door. Using the sonic, he got the door open and stepped found themselves standing on a platform by the motorway. Thousands, possibly more, cars were lined in the air in lanes in the middle of a traffic jam. Down below was nothing but smoke and probably a never-ending empty space. The exhaust fumes from the cars was too strong for them as they both began to cough and gasp for breath. Pulling their jackets over their noses in an attempt to help them proved to be useless. The Doctor brought Rose close to him, trying to shield her from most of the toxic fumes, but they were too strong, even his respiratory bypass wasn't effective at the moment, and that was bad.

Much to their need the car in front of them opened its side door. A man wearing a World War II pilot outfit complete with a helmet, goggles, and a scarf around his face stood at the doorway and shouted at them over the noisy back-up. "Hey, you daft little street struts! What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!"

Without hesitation the Doctor pushed Rose in first before following her as the man shut the door and sat back in the driver's seat. They still coughed roughly as they tried to catch their breaths and started wheezing. A dark haired woman sitting beside the man immediately reached beside her and pulled out two oxygen masks.

"Here you go." She stood up and placed them on their faces, both the Doctor and Rose nodded their heads in thanks as they started to regain their breath.

The man unwrapped the scarf from his face, which was revealed to be that of a cat's, which still seemed a bit surprising to Rose despite the fact she's seen them here before. "Just standing there, breathing it in! There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet," the man claimed.

The woman shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Oh, you're making it up."

"A fifty foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking _that_ nose!"

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

The man laughed. "What, did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving!" The woman tapped his arm and pointed out the front window.

"Right. I'm on it." Shifting gears, the man moved up a short distance until coming to a stop behind the car in front of them. "Twenty yards, we're having a good day," he said with a chuckle before turning to the Doctor and Rose. "And who might you two be? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

Finally able to breathe, the Doctor took off his oxygen mask. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose."

Rose waved as she took off hers. "Hello. Thanks so much!"

The man smiled. "Medical man! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said.

"And that's the rest of the family back there," Brannigan said, nodding his head to the back.

Turning around the Doctor pulled the curtain behind them aside and both he and Rose smiled at what was revealed - a basket of adorable little kittens meowing softly. One of which saying, 'mama.' "Awww," Rose cooed as she picked one up with a blue ribbon and pet it. "Hi, little one."

"Ah, that's nice," the Doctor said, chuckling. "Hello." He picked one up with a pink ribbon and also began to gently pet its head.

Rose couldn't help but feel her insides melt at the sight before her. The Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, a man who can strike fear into the hearts of many adversaries across the entire universe—holding a little kitten delicately in his arms. It was utterly adorable.

She leaned over and whispered quietly, "Thought you weren't a cat person?"

He shot her a look but kept smiling as he turned back to the adults, still petting his kitten. "How old are they?" he asked Valerie, glancing up at her for a second.

"Just two months," she answered.

"Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws," said Brannigan. "Children of the motorway."

"What, they were born in here?" Rose asked.

"We couldn't stop," Valerie told them. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"Hold on, you've been driving for two months?" The Doctor asked.

Brannigan gave a short laugh. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

Rose's brows shot to her hairline. "_What_!?"

"It's true! Started out as newlyweds," Brannigan turned to his wife with a dreamy look on his face. "Feels like yesterday."

Valerie shook her head. "Feels like twelve years to me."

"Ah, sweetheart, but you still love me." He said as he started to tickle her, both of them giggling.

Rose couldn't help but smile at their obvious love for each other. Oddly enough it reminded her of she and the Doctor - without the marriage and children part. Given these circumstances this couple should be raving mad for being stuck on a motorway for twelve bloody _years_, but their love and admiration is what kept them hopeful and sane. Looking down at the kitten in her arms she could see it even clearer.

Beside her, the Doctor was still trying to understand what was going on. "Twelve _years_? How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back," Brannigan answered.

"You traveled _five miles_ in twelve years?"

Brannigan eyed his wife. "I think he's a bit slow."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a shocked look before he turned and placed his kitten back in the basket with its siblings.

"Where are you from?" Valerie asked them.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out." The Doctor said as he moved to lean on the backs of the couple's seats to look out of the front window. "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage," he glanced back at Rose. "We should get back to the TARDIS." Turning around he opened the door and saw that the platform was gone, then started to cough again from the fumes.

"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by," Brannigan told him. "You and your lady here are passengers now, Sonny Jim."

Shutting the door, he asked. "When's the next lay-by?"

Brannigan averted his gaze and swallowed. "Oh, six months?"

Rose stilled. _Six months!?_ There was no way they were going to stay here for that long. "I'm sorry, but please tell me you're kidding."

The man shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, dear."

"We haven't _got_ six months," the Doctor said.

"If you're that desperate you can try the police," Valerie offered, pointing to the back of the car. "The monitor's back there."

Locating it the Doctor moved to the back, Rose following. Using the sonic he turned the screen on and took the transmitter, speaking into it. "I need to talk to the police."

_**"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold," **_came an automatic computerized voice.

"Placed on hold?" Rose asked, confused.

The Doctor furrowed his brows at the screen before talking back into the transmitter. "But you're the police," he tried to reason.

_**"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."**_

Rose sighed dramatically as she moved to place her kitten back in the basket. This was going to take a while—but hopefully _not_ six months.


	13. Gridlock Part 2

**A/N: I****f you're a hard-core Martha fan, I'm sorry to disappoint you that this is a Martha-lite chapter. ****Anyways, thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore each and every one of you ;)**

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_**Chapter 13: Gridlock Part 2**_

Letting out a growl of frustration, the Doctor gave up with the transmitter and any hopes of getting the police down here, and walked back to the front of the car. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan, is there any way of getting through to him?"

Brannigan raised his brows. "Oh, now, ain't you lordly?"

"Please, we really need to find our friend," Rose spoke up. "Who else can we call?"

Valerie turned and smiled sadly at them. "You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah," Brannigan said. "Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list," he looked down at the screen before him, his finger hovering over as he searched. "Now, let's see. Who's nearby?" He stopped at a car number and exclaimed, "Ah, the Cassini sisters!" Pushing it, an image of two elderly women popped up, then he spoke into a transmitter, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

**"**_**Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace**_**,"** one of the sisters responded.

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

**"_You know full well we're not sisters. We're married_."**

"Ooh, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got a hitchhiker here, calls himself the Doctor."

Brannigan handed the transmitter off to the Doctor, who grabbed it impatiently. "Hello. Sorry. I'm looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

_**"Wait a minute,"**_ said one of the voices. _**"Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"**_

The Doctor looked to Brannigan. "Where were we?"

"Pharmacy Town," he informed.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor told.

_**"Let's have a look,"**_ the voice said.

**"_Just my luck to marry a car spotter_,"** the other voice said.

**"_In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction_."**

"Anything more specific?" he asked.

**"_All in good time_,"** the voice said. **"_Was she car-jacked by two people?_"**

"Yes, she was, yeah," he said, a little chirp in his voice. Now they were getting somewhere—metaphorically speaking.

**"_There we are, just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board, and the car number is four six five diamond six._"**

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

"So how do we find them?" Rose asked, moving to the front beside the Doctor, feeling a little bit hopeful.

_**"Ah now, there I'm afraid I can't help,"**_ the voice said.

Well, that bit of hope was chucked. Rose nodded at the transmitter. "We've got their number now, can we call them?"

"Not if they're designated fast lane," Brannigan said, shaking his head. "It's a different class."

**"_You could try the police_,"** one of the voices suggested.

"They put us on hold," Rose told in the background. "What else can we do?"

**"_You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else._"**

"Thank you," the Doctor said with a sigh as he handed back the transmitter. That didn't accomplish a lot, but at least they had the car number and location. Rose patted his arm comfortingly as his face hardened. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take me down," the Doctor demanded.

"Not a million years," Brannigan replied.

"You've got more than three passengers!"

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan, take me down."

"That's a no, and that's final!" Valerie told him strictly, just like a mother and made Rose flinch inside. "I'm not risking the children down there. We're not discussing it, the conversation is closed."

"So we keep on driving?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, we do," Brannigan said.

"But for how long?" Rose asked.

"'Til the journey's end."

Neither would that. The Doctor let out a low growl as he reached over and grabbed the transmitter. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

**"_Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty three years now._"**

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

Rose leaned her head on his arm while waiting for a response. She knew exactly where he was going with this.

**"_I'm not sure_,"** one of the Cassinis said.

"Look at your notes. Any police?"

There was a slight hesitation.** "_Not as such…_"**

"What about an ambulance?" Rose suggested.

The Doctor gave her a small smirk before adding on. "Yes, any ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

**"_I can't keep a note of everything_,"** the voice said.

The Doctor raised his brows in conclusion. "What if there's no one out there?"

Brannigan grabbed the transmitter from the Doctor with a frustrated expression. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor said, "Because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes," he leaned closer to Brannigan. "What if the traffic jam never stops?"

He shook his head. "There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they, hmm?" The Doctor pressed, raising his brows, as Brannigan watched him cautiously. "What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. _Forever_."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie suddenly snapped.

All of a sudden the monitor turned on and a static image of the woman reporter from earlier appeared. _**"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."**_

"You think you know us so well, Doctor," Brannigan said softly. "But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other," he turned to his wife with a smile and reached for her hand.

**_"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."_**

A song began to play loudly spreading throughout the motorway. The soft melody combined with the many voices reciting every lyric blended together so beautifully, it sounded so full of…hope, like a hymn sung by a church choir bringing everyone together in unified harmony. Rose felt a stray tear fall from her eye as the soothing sounds went through her. It was a reminder that no one here was abandoned, no one was left alone.

For a few short moments a warm and welcoming sensation passed through the Doctor, which ultimately calmed him down a little from his tension of this whole situation. He didn't know for sure if these people were really abandoned, but by the looks of it they had to be. Months, years these citizens have been trapped on this motorway and yet to reach their destinations. Almost as if they've been forgotten. But even if they realized the truth of the matter, they stayed together and have each other hope. That's all anyone could ever want.

But now wasn't the time to become sentimental. He had a plan to save Martha. It really wasn't that safe, as usual, but he couldn't just stand around in a stationary vehicle on a jammed motorway. The Doctor turned to Rose just as she wiped a tear from her face. Of course this song was touching and emotional for her as well, they both can relate to it. It pained him that he had to get moving with his plan, but the sooner he acted the sooner they can get out of here.

Placing a hand on her arm, he brought her to the back of the car. The song was still playing but he could tell it was reaching its end, so he figured now would be the time to tell her his plan.

"Rose, listen I—"

"Lemme guess, you've got a plan and it involves me staying here while you go out and put yourself in danger."

He blinked. "Well…yes, actually. How'd you know?"

She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, studying him with a hard look. "It's what you always do, isn't it? Come up with a dangerous albeit ridiculous plan to save the day, and then you just push me aside and discard me from helping."

"So you'll stay here, then?" he said with a hopeful tone.

"Not bloody likely," she responded with another snort.

Of course not, this was _Rose_—his brilliant, lovely, _stubborn_ Rose. The Doctor sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Rose, you—"

"What? You always do this!" She spoke with thick irritation before putting on a mocking tone, "'Oh, Rose I've got this brilliant but highly dangerous plan to save everyone, but it's not safe for you, even though it isn't for me either, but you're human and I don't want you to do anything. Just stay here like a useless ape and wait for me.'" She returned to her normal voice. "Why can't you understand that I don't wanna just sit around and not help?"

The Doctor took a deep breath and kept it in. "First of all, don't _ever _consider yourself to be useless, because you're _not_—"

"Then why can't I help?" she countered.

He inwardly rolled his eyes. This wasn't the time nor the place for this. He pulled her further back so that they wouldn't disturb the couple still singing along to the song. With his hands gently gripping her shoulders, he looked her straight in the eyes.

"You know your safety is always my number one concern, even before my own, but _never_ say that you're useless and I don't appreciate you helping me. I _do_, Rose. You're sharp and strong—it's one of your most admirable qualities about you. But I need you to trust me that I'll be right back for you, just like I always do."

Rose arched a brow at him. "How long will it have to be, Doctor? Five and a half minutes? Hours? _Months_? How long?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Just trust me, Rose. The sooner I do this, the sooner we can get out of here. Believe me, I _strongly_ disagree with the idea of staying here for six months too—hell, I twitched after barely ten minutes! I know you hate it just as much as I do, but what I'm gonna do _is_ dangerous," he nodded over at a trapdoor on the floor, "I'm gonna jump down that door right there and work my way down to the fast lane. It's the only way since there's no movement up here."

Her eyes softened. "But Doctor—"

"At least I have my respiratory bypass, so I won't be affected that much, but it's too toxic for you, and that's why you have to stay here. But I'll come back for you." He brought his hands up to cup her face and spoke softly. "I _always_ come back for you, no matter what. Why don't you trust me?"

Her hands came up to hold his wrists. "I _do_ trust you, Doctor. I trust you with my entire life. I just don't want anything to happen to you when I wasn't there to help." She closed her eyes for a moment and lowered her head. He understood exactly how she felt. If the roles were reversed surely he'd be the same, but he couldn't risk her health for this.

"Hey," he said softly, barely audible over the song still playing across the motorway as he lifted her head up. "Knowing that you'll be here safe and sound and not in any harm makes me more than all right, believe me." He leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead, keeping his lips there as she wrapped her arms around him.

The song finally ended as the people of the motorway finished off with a strong, gentle verse. Rose released herself from his arms. "Go. But if you come back in a day I'll climb down after you myself and slap you silly, toxic fumes or not," she said in a serious, yet joking tone.

He nodded with a smirk and gave her another kiss on the forehead before turning back to the couple. "Right then. If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own." Moving over to the small trapdoor he took out the sonic and tried to get it opened.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked.

"Finding my own way. I usually do."

The door opened with a jerk as a computerized voice said, **"_Capsule open_."**

Pulling the hatch the Doctor saw a car stop directly under them. Taking a deep breath nervously through his nose, he let it out, and started to shrug off his coat, "Here we go. Look after this, Rose," He tossed his coat over to her. "I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"Attachment," Rose mumbled.

He smiled at her. Yes, he had a special love for that coat, but nowhere near as much as the love he had for the one holding it. He turned back to the hosts. "Rose is going to stay here, and while she's fully capable of taking care of herself, I'd really appreciate it if you'd look after her as well. She could be a bit stubborn, and I don't want her to follow me. So, if you have to, hold her down." He shot her an innocent look and he grinned when she rolled her eyes playfully at him and snorted.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie shouted fearfully.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens," he said, looking down.

"This Martha…" Brannigan said, "She must mean an awful lot to you two."

"We hardly know her," Rose admitted. "We just met her."

The Doctor looked up at them. "I was too busy showing off, and I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied," he raised his brows, "Bye then!" He climbed down until he was hanging from the door, his target directly beneath him.

Just as he was about to jump down, he noticed Rose coming to crouch in front of him. "You come back in one piece, ya hear?"

He grinned widely. "Yes, sir."

She bent down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. With a smile and a wink he let go of the car and jumping down to the one below.

Rose, Valerie and Brannigan watched as he landed. "He's completely insane!" Valerie exclaimed.

Brannigan nodded. "That…and a bit magnificent!"

"That's the Doctor," Rose said with a smile.

The Doctor landed with a slight thud on his feet on top of the car beneath Brannigan and Valerie's. Crouching down he pulled out his sonic to immediately start on the door. He looked up for a second and saw Rose smiling down at him. Matching her grin he lifted the hand not holding the sonic up to his lips and blew her a kiss. He chuckled as she caught and held it to her chest before shutting the trapdoor.

_**"Capsule open."**_

Popping up the hatch, he dropped down into the car, startling a man with the palest skin tone. "Who the hell are you?"

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor responded quickly. "We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying the motorway?"

He crouched down to work on the next door as the man answered. "Well, not very much. Junction Five's been closed for _three_ years!"

The door popped. "Thank you, your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

He continued on to the next car, and already felt the fumes get to him. Jumping down into the car he startled two Asian girls.

"Thank you for your cooperation, your comments have been noted," he spotted a purple handkerchief and picked it up, tying it around his face as a mask to shield himself from the fumes. "Mind if I borrow this?" The girls stared at him, so he just gave them a thumbs up before dropping down to the next car.

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, quickly averting his gaze as he dropped in on two _very_ naked passengers. "Don't mind me," he said, blindly opening the next hatch.

The next car was occupied by a man with a crimson red skin tone, who the Doctor simply saluted before continuing to the next car.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Rose sat on the small cot in the corner at the back of the car by the basket of kitten, gently scratching one behind the ear. As much as she hated being left out of the Doctor's plans, she always knew he did it out of the goodness and concern in his hearts to keep her safe. It was something he had promised her, her mother, and of course himself. Irritating as it may be she'll always respect and love him for his protection of her—though she does wish she was always there to help him if he needed it.

"So how long have you two been married?" Valerie asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry?"

"Your marriage," the woman said, indicating Rose's hand, "You're wearing a ring, and I thought I saw one on the Doctor's hand, too."

Looking down at her hand, Rose saw that she was in fact still wearing the ring the Doctor had given her to don while pretending to be husband and wife. She marveled at how he told her he had engraved the inscriptions in it himself, the words that he had admitted to her. Of course he said these words couldn't really be said in any human language—only in his own—which all the more made it special to her. Just keeping it on felt natural. She hadn't noticed if the Doctor was still wearing his, either. Had he forgotten to take it off as well?

"Oh, we're not _really_ married," she said.

"Really? Could've fooled me. I'm sorry, I just assumed." Valerie answered.

"No, it's okay. I mean, we're _together_, but not married," Rose clarified.

"I see. Afraid of taking that big step?"

That thought crossed her mind a couple times before, but she never knew exactly if he really was. Yes, they finally committed themselves to having a relationship and that was a _huge leap_ in of itself, but how much would he really commit to her? They really didn't have to wed since they already promised forever together…but the thought tickled her insides.

"It's…complicated," she answered truthfully, yet it still felt lamely. Valerie nodded with an understanding smile.

A drilling noise suddenly came from above them. Sparks flew from the trapdoor at the top of the car.

Brannigan rolled his eyes and groaned. "Just what we need—pirates!"

Valerie grabbed the transmitter. "I'm calling the police!"

"Yeah, fat lot of good that'll be," Rose scoffed.

The sparks stopped as the door fell from the roof as a figure dressed in white hung upside down facing the front of the car. "Where is he? Where is the Doctor?" the figure demanded, flipping into the car.

Rose stared at the back of the figure. That voice, those clothes, it was…oh no. But she was arrested! "No, don't tell her anything! She's deceiving!"

The figure turned to her and wore a cloth around their face for the fumes outside, but the eyes were very noticeable. Then when the figure removed it Rose was confirmed of her guess of who it was: one of the cat nuns that helped process those diseased humans. "Oh, Rose Tyler," the nun said with a sigh of relief. "I was expecting you, but I thought you would to be with the Doctor."

Rose eyed her warily. "Well he's not here, so go back to playing with your ball of string," she paused when she realized what she said, "No offense, Brannigan."

"Ah, it's no trouble, my dear," the cat man assured.

The nun chuckled. "He did say that you were a feisty one."

Rose furrowed her brows in confusion. "What? Who said that?"

"I'll explain everything later, there's no time right now. We have to go."

"'M not going with you, after everything you've done."

"Please Miss Tyler, this is important. I promise to find the Doctor and bring him to you, but right now we have to leave." Stepping forward, the nun grabbed Rose's wrist and pressed a button on her band. "Transport."

"Wait, no—"

In a flash, a bright light shone and they vanished.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor jumped down onto another car, coughing and wheezing. Though his respiratory bypass was fighting against the toxins he was inhaling and giving him an upper hand, the smog was thickening the further he went down to the lower levels, making it harder to move quickly. The handkerchief tied around his face was also proving to be ineffective as the fumes burned his throat and chest.

But if Rose had come with him, she'd definitely be in much worse shape than him, which would be more of an issue and all the more reason why she needed to stay inside the car safely. Popping up the next door he dropped down into the car, startling a man dressed in a suit and bowl hat.

"Excuse me, is that legal?" the man asked, looking up at the open door from the driver's seat.

Removing the handkerchief from his face, the Doctor addressed the man. "Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," he choked out in a cough, waving his hand to skip the introduction. "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly." The man reached over to a water cooler and filled a cone shaped cup before handing it to him. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners."

Taking the cup the Doctor downed the drink in one gulp, taking a few deep breaths before finally asking, "Is this the last layer?"

"We're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane," the man said.

"Can we drive down?"

"There's only two of us. You need three to go down."

"Couldn't we just cheat?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I'd love to, but it's an automated system," the man said, nodding to the steering wheel, "The wheel would lock."

"If you'll excuse me." Running over to the floor hatch he took out the sonic and popped it open to look down.

"You can't jump, it's a thousand feet down!" The man exclaimed.

"No, I just want to look." He squinted his eyes to peer through the thick smog. There were small flickering off dim lights behind the clouds, then an unnatural screeching from down below. "What's that noise?"

"I try not to think about it," the man said.

"What are those lights? What's down there?" He tried to look deeper but wound up coughing again. He waved his hand in front of his face to fan out the smoke. "I just need to see."

He jumped up and ran to the front of the car to poke the sonic at the screen. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

Leaning underneath the console, the Doctor used the sonic to work on the exposed wires, splicing them in different directions until the air vents outside jerked and hissed. "That's it!" he cried. "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

He came out from under the tangled wires and ran back over to the hatch, looking down as the smoke began to thin out.

The man joined him. "What are those shapes?"

Large claws rose from below, snapping. "They're alive," the Doctor said.

"What the hell are they?"

His expression hardened as he observed the the large, crablike creatures. "Macra."

"Macra?" the man repeated.

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor explained. "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me."

"Well, that was billions of years ago. _Billions_. They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry and Martha's down there."

A sudden loud thud on the roof of the car got both if their attention. The hatch opened up and a pair of feet dangled inside. "Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" The man cried.

The Doctor stood and came forward to the door. "I've invented a sport!"

The figure dropped down wearing a long white gown and headpiece, holding a gun in their hands. They turned around and looked up at him, the Doctor telling right away it was a cat judging by the eyes and alight glimpse of the face underneath the cloth covering them up. "Doctor, you're a hard man to find," she said.

The man noticed the gun and panicked. "No guns! I'm not having guns!"

"I only brought this in case of pirates," the cat said before turning back to the Doctor. "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"You haven't aged at all," she complimented, removing her mask. "Time has been less kind to me."

Staring at her for a moment, he finally recognized the cat. He grinned and threw his arms around her. "Novice Hame!" _Wait a minute…_ "No, hold on, get off," he backed away from her with a now grim expression. "Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance," she told him. "And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, pointing down to the open hatch showing below the motorway. "You've got Macra living underneath this city. _Macra_! And if Martha is still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me right now!" she pleaded.

"No, no, no, you're coming with _me_. We've got three passengers now."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but the situation is even worse than you can imagine." She grabbed his wrist and pressed a button on her wristband. "Transport."

"Don't you dare!" But he was too late as a bright light shone around them before vanishing.


	14. Gridlock Part 3

**A/N: I know a bunch of you were excited to see the Face of Boe, so hopefully you enjoy his cameo. ****Thank you all for viewing the story! You're great motivation ;)**

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_**Chapter 14: Gridlock Part 3**_

Rose opened her eyes with a groan as she tried to sit up from where she lay, her head whirling around in a wave of dizziness in the process. For a moment she forgot where she was but remembered being in the car with Brannigan and Valerie until the cat nun broke in and_—oh, that cat nun! _Now she remembered. She was transported somewhere, and this must have been the place. But where exactly _was_ it?

Looking around she saw nothing but darkness with a dim light shining over her. A cold chill ran down her spine, telling her that something was wrong with this place. It looked like she was in a hall of some sorts, but it appeared much larger. Maybe a courtroom? If the lights were a little brighter, she might be able to tell.

What she could make out were silhouettes of motionless figures sitting in bleachers, most of them appearing to be hunched over. _That's one bad sign._ Getting up to her feet, she backed up and heard something crunch under her foot. She looked down and flinched when she saw a skeletal hand along with its entire bony form.

Oh, this _really_ isn't good.

Swallowing past her nervousness, Rose called out into the silence. "Hello?" No response except for her echo in the quiet hall. Was she alone? She tried again, "Hello, is anyone there? Uh, cat…nun?"

"_Rose Tyler_," a deep voice breathed out.

Rose whipped her head around at the sound of her name being called. That didn't sound like any cat nun. "Who are you?"

"_Oh, an old friend_."

Well, that narrowed it down. "Okay…then how come I don't recognize your voice?"

The voice let out a breathy chuckle. "_Times change, my dear, as well as physicality. But we've met_."

"Show yourself. Where are you?"

"_I'm just over here._ _Follow the sound of my voice_," it breathed out.

Rose began to walk in the direction of the mysterious voice, who apparently was an 'old friend', shakily. She was more than unsure about who this person was. Was it someone from the future? Walking into the room next to the hall she found herself in, she gasped at who the voice came from.

"_Hello, Rose_," he greeted.

"The Face of Boe," Rose said, stepping closer to the giant face.

As she knelt down in front of him, she put a hand softly against his glass case, ignoring the faint twitch she felt inside when she made contact. She had only met him one other time at the end of the universe. He was also in the hospital from their last visit to New Earth, but at that time her head was occupied by a certain bitchy trampoline, making her memories all fuzzy. Though she hadn't really had a chance to really get to know him or meet him properly, something was itching in the back of her head, like…she couldn't describe it, but it seemed to be reassuring in some way.

Still though, by the looks of him he looked sickly. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

_"I'm feeling much better now that you're here, Miss Tyler,"_ Boe said.

"What happened? What's going on with the motorway?"

"_I will explain the problem at hand soon, but there's not much time. I need to tell you something important, Rose. Something only for you to know."_

"Me? But we hardly know each other," she said with a short laugh. "I mean, I never got to speak to you the first time at…well, the 'End of the World' party, and I had a flab of skin takin' over my mind the last time I saw you." She realized something. "Wait a minute, were _you_ the one that said I was feisty? How did you…?"

"_Trust me, we know each other very well, my dear_," Boe assured with a chuckle. "_And that is why you must listen to what I'm about to tell you_."

Rose nodded hesitantly. "I'm listening."

"_No matter what happens in the future, you must promise me one thing, Rose: Don't give up on the Doctor, and never lose hope_."

Her breath hitched. "Why would I ever give up on the Doctor?"

"_Things happen, my dear. Things we do not know if they will or not. But one does not know what the future lies_."

She smiled. "The Doctor does, most of the time. And so do you."

Boe chuckled again. "_That is true, but no one knows every detail of their own lifetime, especially the days to come up until it will end. Anything is possible when Time is constantly in a state of flux._"

She paused for a second. "Is he okay? I mean, does he know I'm here? That _you're_ here?"

"_He will join us shortly_," Boe said. "_That's why I needed to talk with you first. I've been expecting you both for a long time now_."

Rose felt a slight uneasiness come over her insides, her worst fears coming to her mind. She needed to know, even if she didn't get a straight answer. "Boe…is something gonna happen to the Doctor? To me?"

"_As I said many things are possible, Rose. Things that are difficult to explain, difficult to answer. I apologize for not being thorough. Just promise me to never give up on the Doctor_."

Barely containing her nervousness at his words, she managed to speak her next words evenly. "I never would. I'll always believe in him. I made that promise a long time ago, and I'm never gonna break it."

_"I'm aware of that promise, but I still want you say it."_

She furrowed her brows. "Y-you are? How?"

Boe just chuckled. "_If I told you that then it would spoil the surprise. Just say it to me, Rose. I need to hear you swear on that promise."_

Not even dwelling on what exactly the 'surprise' was, she told him firmly. "I promise to never give up on the Doctor, no matter what."

"_Thank you, my dear. You're a very good girl, and he is truly grateful to have you. Because know this, Rose Tyler: you are worth fighting for."_

Rose smiled shyly at Boe's words—words she had heard once before. "A friend of mine once said that to me. He told me that the last time I saw him."

She could remember it as plain as day. Back on the Game Station with the Doctor in his previous body and Jack. That was the last time she had seen him, and how much she missed his charismatic self. Maybe one day they could visit him, though she was unsure if the Doctor would want to meet that wonderful Time Agent. He told her he was busy rebuilding the Earth, but that could've just been the excuse he gave not to see him. She never asked because she felt a strange feeling deep inside at the thought of Captain Jack, but still wished to know what outlandish adventures he's been up to.

"_Perhaps you will meet again_," Boe said evenly as if he was her thoughts.

"Yeah, I hope so," she said with a smile.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Rough teleport…" the Doctor commented with a groan as he sat up on the ground. He hated that method of transportation with a passion, and now he was even more frustrated that he was taken away from coming close to saving Martha, not to mention Rose was probably itching in the car thinking about following him the longer she waited for him. "Ow…" Slowly rising to his feet he turned to Hame. "But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha and then Rose!"

"I've already brought Rose," she said.

His brows furrowed. "What? Where is she, what have you done to her?" he demanded.

Before the cat nun could answer he saw someone enter the room from next door. "Doctor?"

"Rose!" His face lit up as they ran towards each other for a hug. "You just couldn't stay in the car, could you?" he teased.

"No, but I wasn't expecting to be transported here either," she said.

Releasing her, the Doctor turned back to Hame. "Right. Well, you've got one of my companions, now go down for our friend."

"I only had the power for two trips," she told him regretfully.

"Then get some more!" he shouted, taking in their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"High above in the over-city."

"Good! 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! _Millions_!"

Rose tapped his arm. "Doctor I don't think that'll do any good," she said softly.

He looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're inside the Senate, right now," Hame said. "May the goddess Santori bless them."

His gaze turned to the hall and was shocked at the grim sight. What used to be a grand chamber thriving with official members of the Senate was now full of rotted skeletons. The Doctor silently walked towards one on the ground and knelt beside it.

"How long's it been like this?" he asked softly.

"Twenty-four years," Hame answered.

"_All_ of them? Everyone?" He raised his head to look at the cat nun. "What happened?"

"A new chemical—a new mood," she bent down and removed a dried up patch from the skeleton. "They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it, they couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished, even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out quietly as Hame continued.

"There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" he asked in realization.

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's 'we'?" he asked. "How did you survive?"

"He protected me," she said with a smile. "And he has waited for you, these long years."

"We've been expected," Rose told him softly.

Before he could ask again who, his name was called by a low, familiar voice. "_Doctor_."

Turning his head around at the sound, he glanced at Rose as she smiled at him and took his hand, leading him around the corner into the next room. "The Face of Boe!" He said happily as he ran over to his glass chamber and knelt before him.

"_I knew you would come_," Boe said.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sins," Hame told, joining them.

"Old friend, what happened to you?" he asked softly, placing a hand gently on the glass case.

"_Failing_," Boe breathed out.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame said. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," the Doctor said in realization.

"Every single one of them," Rose said.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," Hame explained. "He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

It amazed Rose at what they were told. He was using his entire life as a power source to make sure none of those people stuck on the motorway would fall. Despite that he was weakening more and more by the minute he was determined to keep these people safe. This enigmatic being was so much like the Doctor it's no wonder why she had such respect for him.

Taking all of this in, the Doctor was still confused about something. "But there are planets out there. You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years," Hame said.

Still looking at the Face of Boe, the Doctor stood up to walk over to Novice Hame. "So the two of you stayed here," he said. "On your own, for all these years."

"We had no choice," she said sadly.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you did."

Rose stepped over to them and placed a hand on her arm. "You did all you could to keep them safe. You made a wise choice."

"_Save them, Doctor_," Boe breathed. "_Save them_."

"Oh, just you watch me," the Doctor said, running over to a monitoring screen. Taking out his glasses his eyes were focused on the task at hand as he plugged in information.

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six—it still registers! That's Martha," he cried happily when he found the car he was looking for. He turned to the cat nun pointing at a machine. "Novice Hame, hold that in place," he ran over to her and handed her a thick tube before turning to Rose, "Rose, those wires there, hold them in place," he indicated the wires before running over to a control box. "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn't enough power," Hame cried.

"Ah, you've got power!" he said, darting over to the other side of the room to a control panel. "You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch," he pointed at another panel, "Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!" He jumped up to dash over to a console and used the sonic. "I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"So what are you going to do?" Rose asked as he ran over to another switch.

"This!" he cried with a wide grin, flipping it—which made all of the lights go out. "No, no, no, no, no, no! The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through," he waved the sonic over at another set of controls, trying as hard as he can to restore the power.

"_Doctor_…" the Face of Boe said.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," he said impatiently before yelling over his shoulder, "Rose, drop the wires and keep a hold on that switch."

She did as told and watched Boe on the side carefully. He wasn't looking very good at the moment, but he still wanted to help. "Doctor," she said, trying to get his attention.

"Just keep it down," he directed, "The signal should get through, just hold on."

"_I give you my last_…" Boe began, but finished with a long, raspy breath as he closed his eyes. In a second the lights all over the room and console lit up as the power came back on.

Looking around the Doctor jumped up and ran over to a console. "Hame, look after him!" he ordered. "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face! You've got to see this," grabbing two thick outlets he brought them together and cried happily when he flipped the switch again. "The open road. Ha!"

Rose ran over to the Doctor and hugged him from behind. "You did it!"

He turned around in her embrace and returned it. "No, _we_ did it," he said smiling.

"Just like always," she said.

"Oh, yes," he pressed a kiss to her hair before releasing her. "Let's get those people out of the dark and into the light!"

He ran over to the transmitter and made a public announcement on the holographic screen to be seen in the cars. "Sorry, no Sally Calypso," he said. "She was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor, and this is an order: Everyone drive up right now. I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines!"

Rose clapped her hands beside him. "Drive up! All of you, drive up!"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her into the holographic screen. "Come on, fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way. Oi! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six!" the Doctor called out. "Martha! Drive up! You've got access above!" the Doctor said on screen. "Now go!"

"Come on, Martha!" Rose urged. "Drive up!"

They both watched the screens happily as the symbols on the screen showing the cars moving at a fast rate and out of the motorway.

Another voice came through the transmitter. _**"Did I tell you, Doctor? You're not bad, sir. You're not bad at all!"**_ It was Brannigan.

"You keep driving, Brannigan," he said, grinning into the transmitter. "All the way up! 'Cause it's here, just waiting for you." He strolled over to the window with Rose at his side and gazed out at the beautiful scenery, holding her close. "The city of New New York. And it's yours. Oh, and you've got something of mine…my coat," he said.

"Oops," Rose chuckled. "I left it on the cot. Sorry."

He smiled at her. "Nah, it's not your fault. I'm sure you looked after it well before you vanished into thin air," he said quietly as she giggled before addressing Brannigan again. "I'll be needing that back, if you would be so kind."

_**"I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir,"**_ Brannigan said with a laugh. **_"And we see how you've retrieved something else of yours that means a lot to you - or I should say some_one_."_**

The Doctor looked down and nuzzled Rose's hair. "Yes, I have."

"Thanks for everything, Brannigan and Valerie!" Rose called out. "Take care of the kids,"

_**"The pleasure was ours,"**_ they heard Valerie say.

"And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path as well," he said. "Come to the Senate."

_**"On my way!"**_ Martha happily called on another end.

"It's been quite a while since we saw you, Martha Jones" he said softly.

Rose turned around and gasped just as Novice Hame cried, "Doctor!"

He spun around and saw the glass case around the Face of Boe begin to crack.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha finally made to the Senate and breathed a sigh of relief. As hectic as this day had been for her, she felt sympathy for the couple that had taken her. They weren't bad people, just desperate to get to where they were going, just like the rest of the people that were trapped on the motorway.

Running inside, she found herself in a large hall of some kind and stopped when she saw a skeleton laying on the ground. It couldn't be…she had heard someone yell his name before his transmitter cut out, but it still couldn't be him.

"Doctor?" she asked shakily.

"Over here," he called out evenly from the other room.

Her mood lifted again at the sound if his voice. When she entered the room and saw both of her friends crouched on the ground unharmed. "Doctor! Rose! What happened out there?" She stopped when she approached them and stared at what was a giant face laying in front of them. "What's that?"

Rose, who was stroking its cheek, lifted her head to look at her. "It's the Face of Boe," she answered, nodding her head. "It's all right, come here and say hello."

"And this is Hame," the Doctor said nodding over to the person on the other side of them. "She's a cat, don't worry." Dropping that, he turned his attention back to the face. "He's the one that saved you, not me."

Martha came over and slowly bent down between the cat nun and the Doctor. "Hi," she breathed out.

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying," Hame told her.

"No, don't say that," the Doctor denied with an even tone. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"_It's good to breathe the air once more…_" Boe rasped out a breath. "_To see your faces_."

"Who is he?" Martha asked in wonder.

The Doctor glanced up at her. "I don't even know," he admitted. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years," he looked back down at the being. "Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"_Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most_."

"The legend says more…" Hame began.

The Doctor glanced up at her with a slight hard look. "Don't. There's no need for that."

She hadn't taken his words and just continued. "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

"_I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor._"

Rose looked over and saw his face soften. She fought back on the tears stinging in her eyes. Both he and the Face of Boe were similar in many ways—so much was hidden deeply behind their eyes, so much pain, and loss, among other things they've seen over the course of their long lives.

"That's why we have to survive," he said with a shaken up voice. "Both of us. Don't go."

"_I must_." Boe glanced over to Rose. "_Remember what I told you, Rose. Keep that promise."_

She nodded. "I will, always." Though she kept her eyes on Boe she easily felt the Doctor's eyes staring at her with a confused expression, as well as Martha's and Hame's. She felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Maybe she heard that only in her mind.

Boe chuckled, his large eyes still focused on her. "_I __**did**__ only say that to you specifically, Rose. Thank you, my dear. I know that you will_." He turned his attention to the Doctor and spoke aloud. "_But know this, Time Lord: You are not alone_."

And with that the Face of Boe closed his eyes and breathed his final breath. The tears Rose had been holding in began to fall slowly down her face. Though she may not know who this being really was, who assured her that they _were_ old friends and knew each very well, she couldn't help but feel a little peaceful inside as she smiled sadly. Glancing up at the Doctor she saw the heartbreaking expression on his face mix with one of confusion.

Looking at the Face of Boe as he finally passed on, the Doctor couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the ambiguity of his final words: 'You are not alone.' What had he meant by that? There was no one else. That gaping hole may never be filled again. Of course when he felt a certain familiar hand grip his own he knew for a fact he wasn't _truly_ alone. He did have Rose with him to stay forever which was all the reassurance he needed, but deep down there was still that hole that ached to be filled by something more, something he would never get back. So what could Boe have meant?

Glancing over at Rose he saw the tears flowing freely down her face and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. He stood to his feet and held her close to his chest. He brought his other arm around Martha and held her as well while his gaze fixed on the Face of Boe. After a moment, they left the Senate to allow Novice Hame to grieve in private.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Making it back down to Pharmacy Town, they met up with Brannigan and Valerie again who returned the Doctor's coat and gave their thanks for everything he had done. After exchanging hugs and handshakes with them they made their way back to the TARDIS.

Rose had noticed that the Doctor had been relatively quiet since they left the Senate, and she knew exactly why. He was dwelling on Boe's words that he wasn't alone and wondering what it had meant. She herself wondered about them. Oddly enough, she felt like Boe wasn't referring to her. Surely enough it couldn't be Gallifrey, could it? It was a mystery they might not ever solve for once.

"All closed down," the Doctor declared as they walked down the alley and saw that the vendors have taken their leave, their boxes emptied.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," he replied. "New New York can start again, and they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs - cats in charge."

"Better that then any flab of skin, eh?" Rose said lightly.

A brief smile grazed his lips. "Yeah." Tugging on her hand and nodding to Martha he said, "Come on, time we were off."

Martha came to a stop. "But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? 'You're not alone'."

The Doctor shook his head with a shrug but squeezed Rose's hand. "I don't know."

"You've got me and Rose," she said with a light smile. "Is that what he meant?"

He smiled back at her, but sadly "I don't think so. Sorry."

"Then what?"

"Doesn't matter," he turned around and tugged Rose's hand again to keep walking. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go." After a few steps they heard a scraping of something against the street. Spinning around they saw Martha sitting on a fold up chair with her arms and legs crossed and a questioning eyebrow arched. "All right, are you staying?" The Doctor asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Til you talk to me properly, yes," she answered with an irritated tone. "He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

"Martha, please just leave it," Rose said.

"Why?" She demanded.

"It _really_ doesn't matter," the Doctor told her.

"You don't talk!" She flitted her eyes between the both of them. "Either of you, you never say anything. Why not?"

"We just met you yesterday!" Rose said, irritated.

The tension in the air thinned out when the sound of singing and music echoed into the city. "It's the city," Martha said softly. "They're singing."

Rose felt that warm and calm feeling rise inside herself at the sound of the beautiful hymn again. Something inside her Just lifted inside of her, almost wanting to come out. Letting go of the Doctor's hand she went over to the corner and retrieved another chair, placing it down in front of Martha before sitting on it.

"There are reasons why we never say anything. Things have happened that hurt both of us that can be too painful to talk about." She took in a shaky breath, fighting the tears that started to mist in her eyes. Her composure was regained when she felt a little comfort as the Doctor stood behind her and placed his hands behind her neck, caressing her skin softly. Letting out her shuddering breath, she finally went on. "I just lost my mum recently," she began. "She's not dead, she's still alive. It's just that…she's far away, too far away for us to ever see each other again. She was the only real family I had left, but now everyone's gone."

There was a pause for silence until Martha smiled sympathetically and said softly, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for telling me."

Rose nodded and kept her head low, twiddling her thumbs before bringing one of them to her mouth to chew her nail. From behind her, the Doctor could easily tell she was on the verge of tears again. She only did that nail biting thing when she was upset, and the pain was still fresh. It was difficult to mention any of this, yet she still found the courage to let it out. Something he never was able to do for himself.

With the courage radiating off of Rose combined with the melodic hymn filling the air, the Doctor finally found the urge to speak. "I lied to you, because I liked it," he admitted to Martha, his eyes lifting to the sky. "I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky." His gaze lowered back down to Martha's. "I'm not just a Time Lord—I'm the last of the Time Lords," he paused to swallow past the lump growing in his throat. "The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?" Martha asked quietly.

The Doctor lifted his hands from Rose's neck and walked over to grab a chair of his own. He moved it next to Rose and sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "There was a war—a Time War," he started. "The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And we lost. They lost—_everyone_ lost." He paused for a second. "They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky."

He turned his head to the side away from the girls and smiled sadly, tears brimming his eyes as he reminisced about home.

"Oh, you girls should have seen it, that old planet." His lips trembled as he fought to keep them upward, forcing unshed tears back behind his eyes, but felt himself start to break. That was when he felt a familiar hand gripping his tightly. His wonderful Rose, always there to hold him through the pain. He turned back to them as he continued. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song…"

The girls listened intently as the Doctor described Gallifrey. Rose gave his hand an occasional squeeze whenever he began to choke up mid-sentence. While it was difficult for her to talk about her own personal sadness, it was nothing compared to the collateral damage that the Doctor had embedded deep inside. His was more of a tragedy which was why he always brushed the topic aside before it could be discussed. But now he was opening up a little more and she couldn't help but smile warmly at him for overcoming his painful memories.

It was an accomplishment not only for Martha, but for the both of them.

Finally the three travelers made it back to the TARDIS in calm silence after the Doctor finished describing the beauty of Gallifrey. Once inside they insisted that Martha should get some rest after the exciting and chaotic day she had. Leading her through the many corridors of the TARDIS, Rose told her about how the ship works and how you could find any room by telling Her. Seeming to understand the basic, if not impossible, mechanisms she found a guest room and took a well deserved rest.

When she left Martha to her room, Rose sat on the jump seat in the console room and studied the Doctor as he stood with his back to her and fiddled with controls. Never had she heard him open up as much as he did today, and she couldn't help but love and respect him even more for doing something willfully and hard with such strength. He may have reopened some deep wounds, but he found the courage to talk, and it was beautiful.

Standing to her feet, she came up to him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his shoulder blades. She felt his body rise when he took in a deep breath then fall when he released it slowly and relaxed in her embrace. Rose pressed a light kiss to his back before nuzzling the spot, the soft cotton of his jacket brushing against her cheek. His hands stilled before they left the console and made their way to land over her arms encircling him, gently tracing them with his fingers.

Turning his body around the Doctor returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he held her close and breathed in her sweet scent before placing a light kiss to her soft spot by her pulse point. He let out a content sigh as he lost himself in her embrace. No words needed to be said. This was all that he wanted, no _needed,_ at the moment.

He may have been describing his home to both women, but right here was all the home he could ever want and have—in the TARDIS and in Rose Tyler's arms.


	15. Reflection

**A/N: A short chapter before the next episode. ****As always, many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 15: Reflection**_

The Doctor was alone in the console room, making a few adjustments underneath the TARDIS. He needed to get his mind away from the long, reminiscent conversation about Gallifrey he had with Martha and Rose. The former was in a guest room resting to preserve her energy before being taken back home, which she seemed to accept with such ease at the impossibilities of his ship. Surprisingly, not by all that much, the latter decided to do the same.

After sharing a few moments of comforting silence in each other's arms, he offered to make Rose some tea, but she kindly declined and told him that she needed to take some time to relax for a short while. He couldn't blame her either. She may not need to rest as much as an average human anymore but that didn't exclude her from bouts of exhaustion. Even he himself would need the occasional kip. He assured her that he would join her after finishing some quick fixings on the console right before she left.

Now that he was alone he thought about everything that had occurred in the last twenty minutes or so. With the help of the enigmatic and wise creature that was the Face of Boe, they were able to restore power to the city of New New York and allowing the commuters stuck on the busy motorway access to the skies again. But Boe was weakened since he gave his entire life as a power source, and his last words were spoken specifically for him in saying that he was not alone, but that was impossible.

He had a vague, though uncertain, idea of what Boe had meant but it was wrong. If he was referring to Gallifrey, then it was wrong by far. He would've been able to sense another Time Lord by now via telepathically, but nothing was there. After that slightly confusing and unhelpful statement, he then talked about his home to both Martha and Rose, something he had never wanted to do for a while now ever since…well, _everything_ that had happened. Never had he wanted to burden others and much less himself with the painful reminder that his home was gone, especially since _he_was the one responsible for its downfall. It hurt too much to talk about to anyone, even Rose.

Still to this day he was astounded at how much Rose would always be there to lead him through the agonizing flashbacks of a past he could only wish would be omitted from his mind. Of course she didn't know the full extent of the damage he had done to his planet as well as himself. What she sees now is just a small glint of what's really on the inside, and he feared that if_—_no, not if, _when__—_they took their relationship up to the highest of intimate levels, she would see him for who he really was. That monster hiding deep inside of himself just waiting to claw out from its cage.

Maybe that was the reason why he's been hesitant to initiate that stage. No, not maybe_—_that was _exactly_ the reason.

He was afraid that when she would see him fully, see everything that he was as she delved deep into his mind, he'd scare her away. Hell, even _he_scared himself at times. Not that he didn't _want_ for them to reach such a point in their relationship, because he honestly _did._ They were just moving it along, patiently taking one step at a time. Truthfully he wasn't even entirely certain such a bond could be created with her. She was a human. Yes, she was a more advanced one at that now with her altered genetics and can withstand much more than average, but whether or not she was capable of forming a telepathic bond with him was unknown.

As of recently though he hasn't mentioned anything since he brushed them to the side, but there's been a warm sensation creeping in the back of his head, like an itch or a small spark igniting to life just waiting to grow. He's felt it ever since Noel - more specifically since the first time they passionately kissed_—_that itching feeling to connect with her even more was making itself known. That wasn't as unexpected as how they both fell into this whole thing with slight ease, but he's been shaking it aside for now.

Even the TARDIS sensed it in his mind, however She was supportive of him and also thought it best to not rush straight into something so intimate just yet_—_though She _was_ all for the gesture. Cheeky ship.

Though Rose is strong on so many levels and swore that she could take away as much of the pain away from him as able, the possibility of her handling something like that was uncertain. As much as he loved her with all of his hearts, he cared for her so much to not force any of that onto her if she didn't want it. He would wait until she was ready_—_until _he _was ready_—_to try a hand at the process and see where it goes from there. If not…well, he'd just live with that itch until it's familiar, just like everything else inside of him.

There would always be that gaping hole still inside that could never be filled, one that not even Rose could fully heal. But whenever he was around her any and all worries vanished and it was just the two of them in their own little world. He could spend an eternity in that place, and they actually can now. It still was overwhelming and unbelievable that the opportunity was now in existence. But if this was all a dream, he'd fight to never wake up again, and he would would just live in it.

And if the day should come and they actually try to form that bond, if it _is _possible, and if Rose would commit to something so permanent…well, he'd just have to wait. Whether it's short or long, he would wait.

Crawling out from underneath the console, the Doctor brushed himself off. Dark smudges of oil stained his suit again, and he had just created more. At least he had the sonic to clean himself up. Or maybe he can change into the blue suit again. It was something different than the brown pinstripes, and he felt content with it, though he had a personal liking to his brown one.

He headed down the corridors until he came to his and Rose's room. Turning the knob slowly so not to disturb Rose from her brief kip, he stepped in and noticed their bed was empty. Walking in, the Doctor looked around the room before peeking his head in the en suite, also empty. Rose must have woken up and went out to look for him. Or perhaps she never even came in here to nap at all.

Looking up at the ceiling, the Doctor asked the TARDIS through their telepathic link where Rose was. She hummed softly in his mind and informed him of her location. Sending his thanks, he changed into his blue suit before heading back out in search for Rose.

He turned a corner and came up to a very special room on the TARDIS. It was one of the simulation rooms where the TARDIS can create any type of scenery that someone wants to see and make it seem so real and lifelike with every detail from a piece of grass in the ground to an actual breeze. He often enjoyed coming into these rooms to seek comfort whenever he was alone. She always knew how to help him relax, and that was what She was doing to Rose.

The Doctor stood beside the large double door frame to gaze out at what the TARDIS simulated for Rose_—_the Powell Estate. She was leaning over the railing on the balcony that would be right outside her flat, looking ahead at the place that was once her home. Of course it wasn't her home anymore, it was only a place with memories of what _used_ to be a home.

Pushing himself off of the door frame he walked up to her and leaned against the railing next to her, following her gaze across the Estate. Before he could speak, Rose beat him to it and said, "You lost?"

"Rose, this is my ship. I never get lost," he replied with a small smile. "Weeell, never _intentionally._ Sometimes She likes to play tricks on me."

She smiled briefly. "Yeah, I can imagine." She paused for a second. "I miss this place," she said softly, "Funny, when I was living here most of my life, I always wanted to leave. I never thought I would miss a place like this." One of her hands came to her mouth as she chewed on her thumbnail. "I wish Mum was here."

The Doctor didn't turn his head towards her, instead he kept his head forward. How could he respond to that? It was because of him that she would never see her mother again, so of course he would be ultimately responsible for her sadness. Not only did he bring her back just before they were caught up in the storm that was the battle of Canary Wharf, but he promised Rose that they would celebrate Christmas with Jackie again - and he failed her in more ways than one, each of then hurting him more for doing such a thing to Rose.

Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I'm so sorry…"

"'S not your fault, Doctor," Rose assured.

He snorted. "Oh, no, I only managed to separate you from your own mother who's trapped in a parallel universe. You're right, I shouldn't feel guilty about that," he said with much hinted sarcasm.

Rose turned her head to face him. "First of all, _you_ didn't do it yourself_—_the Daleks and the Cybermen were the ones who were fighting against each other. Torchwood had to poke their noses in business that didn't concern them and _caused_ the whole thing. You didn't do anything, Doctor. Stop blaming yourself."

He shook his head and faced her. "You'll never see her again, Rose, and that's _all_ because of me."

"Don't," she said firmly. Pushing herself off of the railing she placed her hands on his forearm. "I told you that this was the choice that I made myself. I knew what the cost would be, and I still chose to stay with you no matter what," she sniffed. "Yeah, I miss Mum, I miss her every day. But if I ended up in that other world I don't know what I'd do with myself without you."

The Doctor swallowed as he returned his gaze straight ahead across the Estate. "I wish I could do more for you because you deserve so much, but I can't."

"I know, but you did do all you could. You made me say a proper goodbye to her, and I couldn't thank you enough for that." She paused for a moment to study him before lowering her head. "I wish I could do the same for you," she said quietly.

He turned his head to her with furrowed brows. "What?"

"I just…if anyone deserves so much more it's _you_, Doctor. I know it was hard for you to open up the way you did earlier, but I wish I could give you back something more."

The Doctor turned his body away from the view to place a hand under her chin, bringing her eyes back to his. "You already do, Rose. You've given me so much more, and you'll continue to do so. None of those things concern me when I'm with you_—_they all wash away. Yes, I may never have anything like that again, but _this_ is my home_—_right here in the TARDIS with you," he raised his hand to brush back a stray hair behind her ear before keeping it on her cheek. "It's more than I could ever want."

"Me too." Rose said as she gave him a warm, watery smile before he bent down to kiss her softly.

Pulling back a fraction, he whispered across her lips. "Thank you."

Rose chuckled. "For what?"

"Being here with me," he moved his hand down to her arm, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," she said with a nonchalant shrug before smiling widely. He pressed a kiss to her forehead right before she asked. "Are you sure there's no one else?"

"No," he said quickly with certainty as he straightened up. "If there was anyone, I would've known_—_" he tapped his temple, "_—_right here. But it's empty. The Face of Boe was wrong." He studied her for a second. "What did he say to you?"

Rose hesitated for a second. Boe specifically told her that the conversation they had was only for _her,_ so obviously she couldn't mention any of it to the Doctor. Especially the implication of the possibility of something happening to them in the future. If she hadn't accidentally spoken aloud to Boe in front of everyone when he was only in her mind at the moment, she wouldn't have to say anything right now.

But of all of the things they talked about there was one thing she knew wasn't secretive and could be told to the Doctor.

"Just that you're lucky to have me," she answered with a smile.

He smiled back at her response. "That I am."

Stepping closer Rose enveloped him in a hug. "I see you're breaking in the blue suit again."

"Yep."

"Lemme guess, the brown one got stained again?"

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'. He pulled back. "You know, this one has pinstripes too." He lifted his forearm up under her nose, showing her the faint red stripes.

Rose studied them. "Hm. Still prefer the brown." When he pouted she reached a hand out to lower his arm. "I told you that this one works for you too, so don't get all vain on me."

The Doctor sniffed. "Me? Vain?" He adjusted his tie. "Nah, not me."

She giggled and nodded. "Whatever you say. Martha still resting?"

"Yeah, she needs it. Doesn't have as much energy as us, so she has to regain it before we take her back home," he tilted his head and hummed in thought, "Although…we could offer her just _one_ more trip. Whaddaya say?"

Rose nodded. "Fair enough." Martha proved to be a worthy companion in this lifestyle, so she didn't mind having her around. She was a nice, kind person that she could consider to be a friend. "Before we go off somewhere, can we do something we haven't done in a little while? Just for fun?"

He arched a curious brow at her. "What'd you have in mind?"

Instead of telling him she just smiled sweetly and reached out to pull his tie, gently tugging him forward to walk out of the room with her, leaving behind the simulated balcony. Clearly she felt much better and now she was going to show off her happiness.

And he had a pretty good idea of what she was thinking of.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha woke up and for a moment didn't realize where she was. Opening her eyes it all came back to her. She was in a guest room on the TARDIS. It still overwhelmed her that this ship was just so impossible and yet so amazing. Her room was dimly lit, but as she sat up and brought her legs to the edge of her bed they became brighter.

Smiling up at the ceiling she said, "Thank you." She expected some kind of speech in return and had a peaceful hum.

She thought about the last few days she's had that were beyond unbelievable! Going into the past to meet one of the most legendary playwrights, William Shakespeare, and then going into the future to see Earth so many centuries ahead, _New_ Earth. This was an exciting life for sure.

Then she thought about of the honest and personal admittance from the Doctor and Rose. She only knew them for a few days but they became her good friends, and she knew little to nothing about them. Just that they were aliens_—_well, the Doctor was and Rose was still human…enough. They were so mysterious that of course she was curious about them. When they finally opened up about events that had hurt both of them deeply she understood why they never talked much. Underneath their happiness and joy were two people who needed each other more than anything.

It was…beautiful.

Making her way into the en suite, she washed her face and touched up her make-up. She didn't know for sure how long she slept, but it didn't feel like morning. Well, she was still trying to figure out the calender system in this ship though it seemed time zones never mattered in here. When she finished up, Martha headed out of her room and made her way down the corridor. A faint sound in the distance caught her attention, and began to increase with every step she took. It sounded like…music. Yes, loud music blaring_—_the ending to the song "_I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)_" to be exact.

Finding her way to the console room she smiled at the sight before her. The Doctor and Rose were dancing around the console room in rhythm to the music. Martha stayed in the corridor away from their view and laughed quietly at how the Doctor spun around in a circle and fell at Rose's feet at the chorus.

Just as the song ended another began to play and Martha almost died when "_Bad Case of Loving You_" played next because the chorus was too funny. Rose was laughing hysterical as they each acted out parts of each song. They each twirled together, the Doctor holding Rose close and dipping her down for a quick kiss.

Martha sat down on the floor in the shadows and watched the two bounce around the console when "_The Safety Dance_" came on followed by "_Kryptonite_." Of course they were doing this privately and she couldn't help but feel bad that she was intruding on their joy, but just watching how they acted together was so much fun and uplifting. The next couple of songs were heavier and had even faster paced rhythms_—_"_Blitzkrieg Bop,_" "_Ballroom Blitz,_" and "_Time Warp_," and they kept up with the rhythm of all three with ease.

It astounded Martha not only to see how much energy they both had, but also at how they always looked at each other. The Doctor had all of time and space at his fingertips but marveled mostly at Rose, like _she_ was his whole entire world. Just two carefree souls. Martha couldn't help but feel a tad bit of jealousy at their relationship_—_they were just so natural and perfect together with unmistakable chemistry it almost seemed like a fairy tale. But it was all real, and she hoped that one day if she ever met the right guy, together they'd be at least a small glint of what these two had.

As the last song was nearing its end Martha was brought out of her admiration when her stomach growled. She completely forgot that she hadn't eaten anything in a while. She hated to disrupt the joyful couple dancing away in the room, but she needed to know if she could find the kitchen in this place. Standing to her feet and stepping out from the corridor stiff from sitting all that time, Martha walked over to the energetic duo and immediately caught their attention.

"Ah! Martha Jones!" The Doctor exclaimed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, barely showing any effects of the loads of active dancing he and Rose were doing for over twenty minutes_—_that she saw, at least. "Enjoy your rest?"

"Yeah, that was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on," she said with a smile.

Rose nodded, her exhaustion a little more visible. "I know, they're like sleepin' on clouds."

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, technically if you were to attempt sleeping on a cloud, you'd fall right through it. Made entirely of water."

"It's just an expression, Doctor," Rose said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"But if you were to go to Clanabrosin_—_" he closed his eyes and smiled, "_—_oh, those clouds are like big balls of cotton!"

Martha smiled at them. "Well, anyway, I was wondering if we could maybe get something to eat."

The Doctor smacked his forehead. "Oh! Of course! You must be famished. Come on, we'll head to the galley."

He went down the corridor, Rose and Martha following, and turned a corner to enter the galley. Rose sat down on a tall stool at the table and Martha sat beside her while the Doctor rummaged around in a cabinet, sticking his head all the way in as he searched. "Alright, let's see…Ah! We've got bunches of bananas_—_"

"And when he says 'bunches,' he means _bunches,"_ Rose told Martha.

The Doctor stuck his head out to the girls, "Fancy one? They're good, you know."

Martha shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

Grinning widely he plucked off some from the large bunch and handed one to each girl, keeping one for himself.

"Wow, these are…" Martha trailed off as she ate her banana.

"Before the Doctor says it, I'll say it for him," Rose said with a chuckle. "They're _good__,_ right?"

She nodded. "More than that, they're so _sweet._ I've never tasted one like this. Where'd you get them?"

"Oh, this one," she gestured at the Doctor, "Blew up a weapons factory and planted a banana grove in its place."

Martha snorted. "Seriously?" Rose nodded. "Why?"

"Why _not?"_ The Doctor interjected, peeling a second banana. "It's more useful than some pointless weapons factory. You can't get a good source of potassium with some bloody ray guns and spanners."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't get him started, Martha." She discarded her own banana peel at a nearby bin before returning to Martha. "You know, we were thinking, would you mind if we took you on one more trip?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah, sounds great!"

"Brilliant!" The Doctor said with a mouthful of his banana.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Manners, Doctor."

He returned the eye roll and closed his mouth as he chewed, giving them a thumbs up and earning a brief laugh from both girls.


	16. Daleks in Manhattan Part 1

**A/N: Not crazy about this episode, so bear with me if it seems a bit off. I'm rushing these ones since they're slowing me down. And yes, this chapter's boring, I admit it. Please try to deal with that cause it'll get more exciting by the next chapter. ****Thanks to all of the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! **

* * *

_**Chapter 16: Daleks in Manhattan Part 1**_

After they finished up eating the Doctor ran up to the console. "Alright, here we go. Whaddaya fancy_—_forwards or backwards?"

"Since when do you offer so much?" Rose asked with a laugh.

"What's wrong with offering?" he said with an arched brow. "I _do_ have manners, you know."

"Yeah, but you're also rude, so…you're basically a walking contradiction," she teased.

He huffed before Martha spoke up with a chuckle. "Are you two always throwing shots at each other?"

Rose shrugged. "We're always messin' around. It's what we do."

"But she doesn't think she's rude, though she's just as bad as me," the Doctor remarked, earning a tongue sticking out at him from Rose. "So! What's it gonna be? Forwards or backwards?"

Rose thought for a moment. "Dunno…." She turned to Martha. "Whatcha reckon?"

"Backwards is fine with me," she said with a smile.

The Doctor went right on it and plugged in coordinates before flipping the switch. Another moment later the TARDIS landed surprisingly gentle. "What happened? We never land this smooth," Rose commented.

"Oi, I'm not _that_ bad of a driver," the Doctor defended as he ran over to grab his coat.

"So you admit that you _are_ bad, then." Rose teased.

He moved his eyes and sniffed. "I didn't say that."

"Whatever you say."

They stepped out of the TARDIS and onto green grass. "Where are we?" Martha asked.

The Doctor inhaled deeply. "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze! Nice and cold. Lovely." He turned around and craned his neck to look up with a grin. "Ladies, have you met my friend?"

Both of the girls followed his gaze and marveled at what they saw. "Is that…?" Martha asked, stunned. "Oh my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!"

"It's so beautiful," Rose commented, taking the Doctor's hand.

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor said, happily. "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free…"

"It's nice to see the Statue of Liberty this close up," Rose said. "We didn't get to see it last time."

Martha turned to them. "You've been here before, too?"

Rose nodded. "Came here for New Year's. We saw the very first ball drop."

"Oh, my God. That's amazing."

"Yeah, it was. We were supposed to go to another ball drop, but never did."

"Well, you can go at any time," Martha laughed, before looking back up at the Statue. "That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the _real_ New York, not the new, new, new, new, new, new…"

Rose chuckled. "You're missing a few news."

"Well, there's the genuine article_—_so good, they named it twice," the Doctor said as he walked over to the edge of the island with Rose, looking across the bay at the city before them. "Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. 'New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam'."

"Definitely couldn't make songs with that," Rose joked.

"I wonder what year it is now," Martha said, pointing across. "'Cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet." The very building was still under construction

"Work in progress," the Doctor informed. "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history," he pressed his tongue on the back of his top row of teeth. "That makes the date somewhere around_—_"

"November 1st, 1930," Martha said behind them.

The Doctor raised his brows in surprise. "You're getting good at this."

"Doctor, it's from a newspaper," Rose told him, making him turn around as they walked over to Martha, who did in fact have a newspaper in her hands. He took it gently from her and inspected it with a frown.

"Eighty years ago," Martha said. "It's funny cos you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now." She walked closer to the edge and looked over the beautiful city. Turning back to them, still reading the paper. "Come on then, you two. Where do we go first?"

"Well, this might be one place to start," the Doctor said, turning the paper around to show her a headline saying, 'Hooverville Mystery Deepens.' "Looks like our detour got a bit longer."

Martha stared at it. "What's Hooverville?"

"Another mystery," Rose said. How could they resist?

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

It became chillier out as they ventured into Central Park as the girls crossed their arms around their chest and preserved their body heat in their jackets. Once they made it there the Doctor began to explain what was going on in this time. "Herbert Hoover, thirty-first President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up til then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then_—_"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha finished. "When was that, 1929?"

"Yeah," he said solemnly. "Whole economy wiped out overnight, thousands of people unemployed. All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended up here in Central Park."

"What, they actually live in the park?" she asked with disbelief. "In the middle of the city?"

"It's not that unheard of," the Doctor said. "People do it all the time. Even in present day London."

"I suppose so, yeah," she responded quietly with a frown.

They passed by small groups of homeless people huddling over trash cans with fires ignited in desperate need for warmth. A small girl who looked to be no more than four years old was amongst the group, standing by a woman that most likely was her mother. Rose felt her heart sink for these people_—_just losing everything and struggling to make it through the day. It was heartbreaking.

"'S horrible," she commented softly. "There are children."

The Doctor squeezed her hand. He knew how uncomfortable she would feel once they saw what was happening down here.

The little girl she had seen walked over to a blanket and picked up a torn up paper bag. She rummaged around for something inside but when she took out her hand, it was empty as her hand went straight through a hole on the bottom, a smattering of crumbs trickling out. Rose watched in sadness as the little girl dropped the bag and started to cry. This was not how anyone should have to live a life_—_barely surviving on scraps and whatever rags were worn on their backs.

Releasing the Doctor's hand, Rose reached in his trouser pocket, catching him off guard and confused. "Rose, what are you_—_"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw her run over to a little girl, and handing her the spare banana he always kept in his left trouser pocket. He smiled warmly at her caring gesture as a smile spread across the girl's face before she ran over to her mother, hugging her leg then proceeding to peel her snack. He couldn't help but be proud of her yet again at her acts of kindness from her heart.

When Rose came back over to them she saw both the Doctor and Martha smiling at her, the former wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. As they continued making their way into the town, the uneasiness only grew as they saw more homeless people in even worse shape, living in tents and worn out clothes and sheets.

"Ordinary people lost their jobs," the Doctor continued to explain sadly. "Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."

Before the girls could make a response they heard the sound of a fight breaking out nearby. A man ran out of one of the tents and went straight to the noise. Following him, they saw as the man began to break up the scuffle between two young men.

"Cut that out! Right now!"

"He stole my bread!" one of them shouted accusingly.

"That's enough!" the older man yelled before turning to other man. "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened," the other man said. "He just went crazy."

The first man tried to throw another punch but was stopped by the older man. "That's enough!" He repeated then turned back to the second man. "Now think real careful before you lie to me," he said seriously.

"I'm starvin', Solomon," he said desperately with a frown.

Solomon sighed and held out his hand. The young man reached into his coat and pulled out a loaf of bread, giving it to him. He took the loaf and broke it in half, handing a piece to each man.

"We _all_ starvin'. We all got families somewhere," he pointed a stern finger at each man. "No stealin' and no fightin'_—_you know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War_—_a lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

Watching on the side the Doctor tugged Rose's hand and nodded his head in their direction. "Come on." They made it over to Soloman. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here," the Doctor said.

The other man eyed the three of them suspiciously before asking, "And, uh, who might you be?"

Rose spoke up for them. "I'm Rose," she gestured at the others. "That's Martha and this is the Doctor."

Solomon raised his brows and scoffed. "A doctor? Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor." He stood over a fire in a trash can and warmed his hands. "Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

"How many people live here?" Martha asked.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville: we are a truly equal society_—_black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome, all three of you." He raised his head to glance at the Doctor. "But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me," he walked away to stand on the side to look up at the Empire State building, the others following. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

The Doctor frowned and spoke sadly, "I wish I had an answer for you."

Solomon shook his head. "Yeah." He walked away, leaving the three to gaze up at the soon to be landmark before catching up to the man.

Rose handed the Doctor the newspaper. "He might know about this."

Taking it they reached the man as the Doctor showed it to him. "So…men are going missing. Is this true?"

Solomon took the paper and shook his head. "It's true all right."

"But what does 'missing' mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in," Solomon said, nodding to his tent and sitting down. "This is different."

They made their inside way inside and Martha asked. "In what way?"

"Someone takes them at night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"What makes you think someone's taking them?" Rose asked.

"When you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got_—_your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning," he replied.

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked.

Solomon snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, we tried that - another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"So, the question is," the Doctor spoke slowly as he leaned against a pole, "who's taking them and what for?"

A young man suddenly popped his head in the tent. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

Solomon jumped up immediately and left the three behind in the tent. Rose nudged the Doctor, who already had the curious look in his eyes as he led them out and followed.

The man presumably to be Mr. Diagoras stood in front of a gathering crowd on a box, towering over then as he made an announcement. "I need men, volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah, what is the money?" the young man asked.

"A dollar a day."

"What's the work?" Solomon asked.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon sneered. "That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

Diagoras shrugged. "Accidents happen," he replied evenly.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor spoke up. "What sort of accidents?"

"You don't need the work? That's fine," the man said, looking around. "Anybody else?"

Both Rose and the Doctor shared a glance. "Up for it?" he whispered.

"A trip down in a dank sewer? Sure," Rose said half heartedly, as they both raised their hands. Mysteries were fun and exciting to solve, but traveling through a dirty sewer under the city? Well, it could be worse.

"What are you two up to?" Martha asked.

Diagoras noticed them and shook his head impatiently. "Enough with the questions."

"Oh, no, no, we're volunteering," the Doctor said.

The man looked at them with surprise before scanning the crowd. "Alright, who else?"

Martha flitted her eyes between the two of them. "I'll kill you for this," she said, causing them to chuckle.

Pretty soon Solomon and the young man, whose name was Frank, also raised their hands with them. Diagoras looked around for any other takers. As no one else raised their hands, he dropped down from his box and led them to the nearby sewers. Lifting the lid he showed them the tunnel that they would walk through. They each took turns stepping down the ladder as Diagoras instructed them.

"Turn left, go about half a mile, follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up."

The Doctor raised a curious brow at the man. "And what if we don't come back up?"

"Then I got no one to pay," Diagoras answered irritably.

"Cheery," Rose commented.

"We'll be back," Solomon assured him before walking away first.

"Let's hope so," Martha mumbled to herself as she followed along with the others.

The tunnel was dark with a few dim lights shining the way. Thankfully Diagoras supplied them all with torches, which was probably the most surprising albeit considerable gesture he's made to them. From above, the opening was sealed shut, the only way to go was now through the tunnel.

Rose shined her torch by the wall and almost gagged when she saw a thick layer of slime crusted in the cracks. "Lovely," she commented.

"We just got to stick together," Frank said from the side of each of the girls. "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."

"So what about you, Frank?" Martha asked. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

He laughed. "Oh, you could talk. No, I'm Tennessee born and bred," he said with his thick Southern drawl.

"So what are you doing in New York?" Rose asked curiously.

He had to have been around her own age, maybe a year or two younger. She couldn't stop herself from admiring how cute he was and then inwardly giggled. The Doctor was in front of them walking with Solomon. No doubt he would be giving her that certain look, saying "Oh, he's pretty…" as a way of jealousy. But of course Rose was committed only to the Doctor, though it was fun to tease him at times.

"Oh, my daddy died. Mama couldn't afford to feed us all," he told. "So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over_—_Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a lookout for us." He flitted his eyes to both Rose and Martha. "So, what about you two? You're a long way from home."

"We're from London," Rose told him before adding, "Well, I was originally, but we travel around."

Frank nodded his head forward at the Doctor. "You and your man, yeah?"

She blushed a little. "Yeah, but we have friends with us sometimes."

"Ah, more hitchers," he turned to Martha. "And you?"

"I'm just a hitcher too," she answered.

"You stick with me, you'll be all right," the young man said with a smile.

Rose moved up to walk beside the Doctor to see what he could find out. "So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" he asked.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman," Solomon said, observing the tunnels. "Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How'd he manage that then?"

"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way round."

As they walked the Doctor shone his torch to the ground and suddenly exclaimed. "Whoa!"

He knelt to the ground to examine something. Moving around him, Rose saw some kind of green gelatinous blob that glowed.

"What the hell is that?" It actually looked like a brain of some sorts, or something else, maybe a creature? But whatever it was, the smell was horrible as it attacked her nose and made her gag.

Martha came up to have a closer look. "Is it radioactive or something?" The object's glow died down. "It's gone off, whatever it is_._"

"And you've _got_ to pick it up," Rose grimaced as the Doctor slipped on his glasses and lifted the slimy object.

He brought it closer to his face for examination, turning it in his hand and causing it to make disgusting squishy sounds. How he was standing the smell was beyond her since she was gagging just from standing away from it, but she was certain that she would definitely throw up on the spot if he did what she thought he would do next.

"Doctor, I swear, if you _lick_ that_—_"

"Relax," he said with an eye roll. "I'm only examining it."

"Well, you have a habit of licking things when you examine, you know," she said. If his tongue made an appearance, she was never snogging him again_—_and she hoped to _God_ that he would hold himself back from his oral fixation for once, because she honestly didn't want it to come to that.

"Even _I_ have limits, Rose," he told her.

She snorted. "That so? I've yet to see them."

He glanced up for a second and threw her a quick smirk. "Just come down here and shine your torch through it," he said. Doing so, Rose held her breath from inhaling the foul smelling object and shone her torch below it, making it seem more transparent. "Composite organic matter," he commented. "Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that," she replied from where she stood.

"Definitely not. Looks like a deformed jellyfish," Rose said.

The Doctor raised his head from examining the blob. "Well, it's not that, it's nothing of any oceanic life. And I'll tell you something else_—_we must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you?"

"So why were we sent down here?" Rose asked, looking around the tunnel.

"Where are we now?" Martha asked. "What's above us?"

Standing to his feet, the Doctor looked up to the tunnel above them. "Well…we're right underneath Manhattan." He shoved the blob into his coat pocket and Rose audibly gagged while Martha grimaced. "C'mon."

He reached a hand out instinctively for Rose's and she recoiled for a second. "Don't touch me with that one, it's been all up in a slime ball."

The Doctor snorted. "Scared of a little bit of slime?" he teased.

"No, but it's just as disgusting as it smells."

"Fine." He switched the torch to his 'contaminated' hand and offered her his opposite one, wiggling his fingers and smiled with arched brows. "Better?"

Rose threw a teasing grin before taking it. "Very."

The group continued walking for a few more minutes to head deeper into the tunnel. Rose felt a slight chill pass through her with every step they took. There was something eerie about under here that seemed too creepy. The Doctor had a firm grip on her hand to calm her down. This mystery was getting more and more…mysterious.

"We're way beyond half a mile," Solomon declared. "There's no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor answered.

"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

Rose shivered again. "I have a feeling it has something to do with all the missing people from Hooverville," she suggested quietly.

The Doctor sensed her discomfort and squeezed her hand as he turned back to the group. "Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back," he nodded at Martha and Frank while tightening his grip on Rose's hand. "Rose and I will be much quicker on our own."

Her stomach swooped with happiness that he wasn't sending her away for once while the rest of her insides shook with chills of these tunnels.

"I'm not going back up, I'm staying with you," Martha protested.

Before anything else could happen a loud squealing sound echoed from the distance, startling them. Everyone whipped their heads in its direction and brought their torches up in the dark.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked.

"Hello?" Frank shouted, his voice echoing through the sewers before Martha and Rose shushed him immediately. "What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" He reasoned quietly. "You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own."

"Yeah, well they must've been mad for taking such an offer, then," Rose mumbled.

The Doctor turned to him. "Do you think they're still alive?"

The young man shrugged. "Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

Another round of squeals echoed around them. Releasing Rose's hand, the Doctor walked cautiously down one of the other tunnels.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like _that,"_ Solomon pointed out.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank said.

The Doctor waved his hand at them. "This way."

Solomon shone his torch light down a different tunnel. "No, that way."

As they decided to go down Solomon's chosen path, Rose looked back at the Doctor and arched a brow. This place was creepy as it was but those squeals were non-human. He just shook his head as they walked. Martha suddenly put a hand on Rose's arm, stopping her. Looking ahead she froze up.

"Doctor, up there," she whispered.

A figure in the shadows was doubled over against a wall. "Who are you?" Solomon asked.

The stranger didn't respond. "Are you lost?" Still no response. "Can you understand me?" He began to slowly approach the figure. "I've been thinkin' about folk lost-"

The Doctor put a hand on the young man's arm and stopped him. "It's all right, Frank. Just stay back, let me have a look."

He turned to Rose and gave her a look, telling her to stay put for a moment while he went up to the figure.

"He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own." He brought his torch up to light his way as he came closer to the figure. "We know the way out. _Daylight_. If you want to come with us_—_" he stopped in front of the figure, crouching down and bringing his light to show the face of the figure and it looked like that of a pig's."Oh, but what are you?"

Solomon took a few wary steps behind the Doctor and asked nervously. "Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?"

"No, it's real," the Doctor assured before speaking with sincerity to the pig man. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Now listen to me, I promise I can help. Now, who did this to you?"

Before he could get the man to talk, a group of approaching shadows appeared along the tunnel as well as more squeals.

"Doctor," Rose warned, stepping behind him as he slowly stood. He held his arm without the torch and kept Rose behind him, backing her up to join the others. Oh, no. He wasn't doing this again. She came back up to him and tugged his arm when he wouldn't budge. "Doctor, step away."

"I think you two should get back here," Martha called out from the back.

The Doctor began to slowly walk backwards, keeping Rose safely behind him. "Actually, good point, girls."

The pig men rounded the corner and started coming towards them. "They're following you," Martha told him.

He nodded, his eyes not leaving the pig men. "Yeah, I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Rose, Martha, Solomon, Frank, um…basically…"

"RUN!" Rose shouted as she pulled the Doctor's arm, getting him to move faster.

The rest of the group got the message as they raced to get back to a sewer lid. "Where are we going?" Martha asked frantically as they twisted around corners.

The Doctor sped up to take the lead, dragging Rose along with him. "This way!"

They turned and ran by a side tunnel and Rose caught a glimpse of their escape. She stopped and pulled him. "Doctor, a ladder!"

Skidding to a stop and stumbling, his face lit up. "Brilliant! Come on!" Running down the tunnel, he quickly climbed up to the top and soniced the lid, opening it. As he made it up, Solomon followed.

Frank pushed the girls ahead of him. He found a stray bar lying on the ground and waved it towards the pig men, trying to ward them off.

Both girls shouted for him until he dropped it and began to climb the ladder. "C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon yelled. He was making his way up, but was stopped when a pig man grabbed a hold of his leg. He kicked it off but more grabbed him.

Both the Doctor and Solomon grabbed either of Frank's hands and began pulling him back up. "I've got you. C'mon! Come on!" the Doctor screamed, pulling with all of his strength. Just when it looked like Frank was freed, the pig men proved to be too strong as they pulled him all the way down. "NO!" The Doctor shouted in unison with the girls.

One of the pig men made it through and began climbing up the ladder. Solomon shoved the Doctor aside, causing him to stumble into Rose's arms as he shut the lid on the man before he could join them. "We can't go after him."

"We've got to go back down. We can't just leave him," the Doctor protested.

"No! I'm not losing anybody else," the other man said. "Those creatures were from Hell. From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Rose stepped around Martha and stomped angrily towards Solomon, smacking his arm repeatedly. "He was a boy! An innocent, kind, young man who trusted you! You were the one who looked after him and what do you do when he needs you the most? You leave him behind to die!"

The Doctor came from behind and held her arms firmly before she continued her spiel. "Hey, hey. Just leave him, Rose," he soothed quietly in her ear to calm her down. He understood her frustration very well, but they needed to keep going.

She relaxed enough then turned around to face him, her eyes misty with unshed tears. "He was a _boy_, Doctor," she said softly. "We can't leave him down there."

"I know," he said calmly, rubbing her arms up and down. "We'll find him, I promise. We'll fix this." He leaned over to press a quick kiss on her forehead for reassurance.

Suddenly an unknown voice called out. "All right, then, put 'em up!" A blonde woman with a thick New York accent came out from behind a rack, pointing a gun at them. She gestured the weapon at them. "Hands in the air, and no funny business."

Obeying her words they all slowly put their hands up, the Doctor stepping in front of Rose as a shield. If a shot was to be fired, he'd take the bullet for her in a heartsbeat.

"Now tell me, you schmucks," the woman continued, holding the gun steady in her hands. "What've you done with Lazlo?"

* * *

**Attention campers, attention campers: it's tiiiiiiiime for Camp Lazlooooo! Eh? Anybody get that reference? No? Okay. Don't mind me, I'll just be over here.**


	17. Daleks in Manhattan Part 2

**A/N: Yeah, I really rushed these since they're really not my favorite. Again, sorry if it seems off. I wanna get through this two-parter episode fast and get to Lazarus. ****Many thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great! ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 17: Daleks in Manhattan Part 2**_

"Who's Lazlo?" Martha asked calmly, which contrasted with her nerves shaking with nervousness at having a gun pointed at her.

The woman glanced over each of them before gesturing at them to follow her. "C'mon over to my dressing room. Dunno if I wanna talk in here like this."

Walking backwards while keeping a close eye on them, they made it to her dressing room full of props, clothes, and cosmetics. She slumped into the seat in front of the vanity.

"Lazlo's my boyfriend_—_or _was_ my boyfriend until two weeks ago," she told them. "No letter, no good-bye, no nothin', and I'm not stupid." As she talked she gestured absent mindedly with the gun still in her hand. The Doctor was the closest one standing in front of her and leaned back warily, bumping into Rose behind him. "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo," the woman continued. "I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

The Doctor still eyed the gun cautiously. "It might…might just help if you put that down."

The woman furrowed her brows in confusion. "Huh?" Then she realized the gun was dangling in her fingers. "Oh, sure." She tossed it over to a nearby chair like it was a regular piece of trash, which only made the Doctor flinch and bump into Rose again. "Oh, c'mon, it's not real," the woman said. "It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

Rose snorted while Martha asked the woman, "What do you think happened to Lazlo?"

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip!_—_vanished."

The Doctor stepped closer. "Listen_—_what's your name?"

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah_—_"

"Three Ls and an H," she clarified.

He blinked once before shaking his head. "Right. Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon added. "Such creatures."

"And you left Frank to them," Rose muttered bitterly.

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures'?" Tallulah asked.

"Look, listen, just trust me," the Doctor said quickly. "Everyone is in danger." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the slimy blob, inwardly grinning at Rose's recoil in the corner of his eye. "I need to find out exactly what this is because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

Tallulah made a disgusted face and grimaced at the object. "Yech!"

"I'm going to head back to the prop room, see if I can find anything that might help me figure out what this thing is."

"Yes please, the smell isn't leaving my nostrils," Rose complained, causing the Doctor to giggle.

"Hey, I need to start getting ready for my next show. You girls want to stay and chat?" Tallulah asked them glancing between them.

Before he left, the Doctor pulled Rose aside near the door and away from the rest. "See if she gives out anything useful. Right now we need as much information that we can get."

She nodded. "Okay. Just don't lick that glob, please," she said pointing at the object.

He rolled his eyes. "Why do you keep thinking I'm gonna lick it? I told you that I have limits, Rose, and a blob of slime_—_well, that's near the top of the list."

"Good, because if you did, I wouldn't snog you anymore," she said with a teasing grin and poking him in the chest.

He smirked. "Can't have that now, can we?"

He gave her a quick peck on the lips and then sauntered off to further examine the slimy thing. Solomon followed him and left the ladies together, Rose glaring at him as he passed by. She walked back to join Martha and Tallulah, who got herself ready for her show.

"Lazlo…" she said in a dreamy voice, pointing at a photo of them together on the vanity. "He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose."

"He sounds like a sweet guy," Martha commented.

"Oh, he is," she answered with a smile.

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Rose asked.

The woman shrugged. "Sure, but he's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't."

"Why not kick up a fuss?" Rose suggested with a small smile. "You know, just refuse to go on."

"Then I'd get fired."

"Well, you're the star of the show," Martha added.

"Oh, honey, I got one show in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle - which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says," Tallulah told them. "I can't afford to make a fuss. They'll fire me, and if I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

Rose shook her head. "That's just…so wrong."

Tallulah smiled sadly. "It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back."

The woman started to cry and Rose enveloped her in a comforting hug, then allowed Martha to give her one as well. "We're so sorry," she said.

Pulling out from her embrace, she nodded. "Thanks, girls." She turned to Rose. "You're lucky, though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

Rose blushed a little and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am.

Tallulah smiled and shook her head. "Guess nothing, honey. I've seen the way he looks at you. That man would lay down his life for you in a second."

"Believe me, I know he would," she responded quietly.

"But you can't give up hope, Tallulah," Martha assured. "Lazlo will come back."

Tallulah was still smiling. "Oh, I still got hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going cos…" she picked up a white rose from the vanity and held it up to show it to them. "Look. On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Lazlo?" Rose asked, as Martha took the flower.

"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?" She asked the girls, who just shrugged. "Yeah, that's all I got either." Taking one last look in the mirror, she proclaimed, "Well, here goes." She skipped out into the hall and called out, "Girls, it's showtime!"

At her words a mob of women dressed in red sequined outfits ran onto the stage, chatting away at each other. Tallulah turned to them and beckoned them with her hand.

"Come on, girls, take a look. Ever been on stage before?"

Rose exchanged a glance with Martha and grinned. "Oh, a little bit."

"You know, Shakespeare," Martha said.

"How dull is that?" Tallulah scoffed. "Come and see a _real_ show," she urged happily as she pulled them toward the stage.

They watched as a group women dressed in red like devils and another group dressed in white like angels dance around the stage while Tallulah sang her heart out.

Martha nudged Rose's side with her elbow, getting her attention. She nodded off to the other side of the stage. Confused by what she was doing, Rose narrowed her eyes to see what was over in the darkness. Just barely visible she made out the face of another pig man.

"Wait…" she looked harder. "It doesn't look like the others." Without warning, Martha made her way through the performance to get to the other side. "Martha, no! Get back!" she told her quietly, but it didn't phase her any.

With a heavy sigh Rose crawled on the ground to try to bring Martha back. If she was going to try and pursue the man, at least she'd be with. They were hiding behind the group of dancers when Rose tapped her leg. "Martha, don't go near him," she whispered, though she thought the other girl wouldn't hear her over Tallulah's singing and the music.

"You said it yourself, he's different," she answered.

"I know, I'm curious too, but we can't_—_watch out!"

Martha slowly turned back to approach the man sneakily, but accidentally stepped on one of the Devil's tails and causing them to stumble and then fall. Soon after the others began to fall like dominoes in the chain reaction. Tallulah stopped singing and cried, "Get off the stage! You're spoilin' it!"

"No, but look," Martha said, pointing at the pig man. Tallulah looked over and saw him and screamed. She startled the man as he dashed away.

"Wait!" Rose cried as Martha began to chase him. While Rose said she was curious about why this pig man seemed to be different than the others, she didn't want to risk being captured. They made it back to Tallulah's room, and Rose grabbed Martha. "Listen, we have to go back. As much as I wanna know about him too, we can't risk being-"

A loud snorting sound interrupted her. Turning around for the noise, Rose saw nothing but the coat rack…until she turned back and screamed as two pig men suddenly came from behind the wardrobe and grabbed them.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The DNA scanner wasn't really the greatest creation the Doctor's made, but given the available resources he had, it would do just as good. He studied the blob under a beam of light from the stage with his specs on, examining it closer than he could earlier now with the equipment.

Solomon had come with him so that the ladies could have some time together, but left not too long after the music had started playing to check on the other people of Hooverville. Apparently Rose's anger toward his choice to leave young Frank behind motivated him to go do something worthy and tend to the others outside. He couldn't blame either him or Rose for how they felt for each side.

Leaning in for a closer look he furrowed his brows in concentration at the scanner. "This is artificial, genetically engineered," he said to himself. "Whoever this is, oh, you're clever." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his stethoscope to listen to the blob. "Fundamental DNA type 4-6-7_—_9-8-9." He raised his head and repeated the last three digits. "9-8-9…" he lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes as he thought. "Hold on, that means planet of origin…" he trailed off as he lowered his hand from his face. _Oh, no._ "Skaro," he breathed out before swiftly rising from his seat as he dashed to get back to the girls.

He shouldn't have left them alone.

Once he made it backstage, he swerved through the group of women who huddled around Tallulah, panicking_—_and Rose and Martha were nowhere in sight. He grabbed the blonde showgirl by the shoulders.

"Where are they? Where's Rose and Martha?"

"I don't know. They ran off the stage," she told him.

A pair of screams filled the air, and he knew exactly who they were. Without hesitation, he ran in its direction, Tallulah following close behind. Making it to the prop room, he noticed neither of the girls around. "Rose! Martha!"

The sewer lid they had arrived from was slightly opened. The pig men must've snuck around back here and captured them. Turning around the Doctor swiftly retrieved his coat from the rack and quickly shrugged it on before removing the lid completely.

"Where are you going?" Tallulah asked.

"They've taken them," he responded briefly.

"Who's taken them? What're you doing?" Tallulah asked. Instead of getting a straight answer he began to climb down the ladder and into the sewer. As he made it down, he noticed the showgirl had followed after them. "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

"No, no, no, no, no way! You're not coming," the Doctor told her.

"Tell me what's going on!"

"There's nothing you can do. Go back!"

"Look, whoever's taken Rose and Martha, could've taken Lazlo too, couldn't they?" she suggested.

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," he warned.

She began to walk down a side tunnel. "Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?"

He sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to her otherwise. Besides the longer he kept trying, the longer both Rose and Martha would be in danger. Walking past Tallulah, he waved his hand. "This way."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"Oi, watch it!" Rose yelled as one of the pig men threw her up against the wall in the tunnel. She cringed not by the slight pain in her side when she made contact with it, but by the crusted grime on the surface. _Wonderful. _Martha stood beside her. "You all right?"

Martha nodded. "Yeah, you?"

"Fan-bloody-tastic," she responded. Of course this would happen. Looking around she saw a group of more pig men marching over along with a line of other people.

"Martha! Rose!" one called out. Both girls were relieved to see that it was Frank, still human.

"Frank!" They both cried in unison, each taking turns to give the young man a hug. Once Rose released him and looked back to where they came from. Just then two pig men shoved them again.

"Get your dirty hooves off of me," Rose snapped, pushing the man back.

He looked between her and Martha and snorted. _"_Yeah, alright," Martha spat out, nodding to Rose and Frank. "Come on." The other humans were being lined up and taken down the tunnel. Slowly, the three of them joined.

"Wait, where are they taking us?" Frank asked.

"I don't know," Martha said, "But we can find out what's going on down here."

Rose nodded as a chill shot down her spine, and this one felt worse than the other. She just wished for the Doctor to find them.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor carefully scanned the tunnel with every step he took, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Knowing very well that the blob he found was from Skaro made his skin crawl. And if Rose was_—_

"When you say, they've taken her, who's they exactly? And who are you anyway? I never asked." Tallulah spoke loudly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Shhh," he hushed.

"Okay, okay," she responded, once again loudly.

"Shh, shh, shh!" he hushed her again, this time more hastily with his hands in the air.

A shadow was moving towards them, cast on the wall, but it wasn't that of a human's or one of the pig men_—_it was the last creature he wanted to see, but the one he was expecting.

It didn't phase Tallulah any though as she began to speak loudly again. "I mean, you're handsome and all, but_—_"

Thinking fast, the Doctor pulled Tallulah into a tight recess in the wall, putting a hand over the showgirl's mouth.

Sure enough a Dalek slowly passed by, its eyestalk observing the tunnel but luckily hadn't noticed them in their hiding spot. Once it was further away at a safe distance, the Doctor removed his hand from Tallulah's mouth. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no," he muttered. "They survived. They _always_ survive while I lose_—_"

He stopped and sucked in a shaky breath. Not only has he lost so much from the bloody Daleks, but so has Rose. They were part of the reason why she would never see her own mother again. Neither one of them wanted to deal with those cold hearted creatures, but of course they always had to come back and ruin their lives. And right now, she was probably in their clutches.

"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked. "What was it?"

"It's called a Dalek," he told her. "And it's not just metal, it's alive."

The showgirl scoffed. "You're kidding me."

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he snapped angrily through gritted teeth, causing the woman to wince at his tone. Letting out a deep breath through his nose, he kept his tone as even as he could. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

"But if it's not a human being, that kind of implies it's from outer space," Tallulah said with a nervous chuckle. He gave her a pointed look. "Yet again, that's a no with the kidding," she said with a brief nod. "Boy. Well, what's it doing here, in New York?"

Grabbing her hand he pulled themselves out of the recess. "Come on."

"Where we going?" Tallulah asked.

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger," he told her. "I'm taking you back right now."

They rounded a corner and Tallulah screamed when they came upon a pig man. They seemed to startle him as he tried to hide in the shadows, but the Doctor called after him. "Where's Rose and Martha? What have you done with them? What have you done with Rose and Martha?"

"I didn't take them," he said in a gravelly human voice.

The Doctor's tension eased a little at the sound of his voice. He wasn't squealing like the others. "Can you remember your name?" he asked calmly.

"Don't look at me."

Tallulah began to slowly walk up to the pig man. "Do you know where they are?"

"Stay back!" he ordered, holding a hand up to stop her from coming closer. "Don't look at me."

The Doctor began to slowly approach the man with warily steps. "What happened to you?"

"They made me a monster."

"Who did?"

"The masters," the pig man responded.

"The Daleks," he corrected firmly. "Why?

"They needed slaves," he answered. "They needed slaves to steal more people, so they created us_—_part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"What about Rose and Martha?"

"They took them. It's my fault, they were following me."

Tallulah held her arms close around her body. "Were you in the theatre?

He shook his head. "I never…yes," he admitted.

"Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this," the pig man said sadly, shying away shamefully.

"Why me? What do I got to do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

Staying in the shadows, he turned to face her and only said, "Yes."

The pig man tried to turn away but Tallulah stepped closer to him and grabbed his arm, looking deep into the man's eyes and studying his face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw who he was. "Lazlo?" she asked, breathlessly. "My Lazlo? Oh, what have they done to you?"

The Doctor moved closer to the man. "Lazlo, can you show me where they are?"

"They'll kill you," he told him.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

Lazlo glanced at him before sighing. "Then follow me."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"I've got a nasty feeling that we're being kept in the larder," Martha commented as they finally came to a stop in the tunnel.

"What're they doing?" Frank asked.

Rose gasped as another chill shot down her system. Oh, this really wasn't good. Holding her chest as it felt like a cold bucket water was running in her veins, the sensation only increased as her feelings were justified by came into view. "No, it can't be…" she breathed out.

**"SILENCE! SILENCE!"** called a familiar, robotic voice that made her insides boil.

Another bone chilling sensation shot down her spine. Just being near their presence again was enough to make her skin crawl. After everything they've done, after all of the countless times the Doctor defeated them, somehow they manage to survive and escape like cockroaches. She clenched her fists at the sight of the familiar pepper pot as it strolled in, its eyestalk moving around.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"It's a Dalek," she ground out. " One of the most hateful, destructive races that will kill everyone and everything in sight. They were one of the reasons why the battle at Canary Wharf happened. How the hell did they survive?!" she whispered harshly.

**"YOU WILL FORM A LINE. MOVE."**

The pig men followed their commands and forced everyone to form a line, frightening the prisoners. "Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha told the group calmly. "Just obey."

**"THE FEMALE IS WISE,"** the Dalek said. **"OBEY!"**

Another one rolled in. **"REPORT."**

**"THESE ARE STRONG SPECIMENS. THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAUSE. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?"**

**"THE DALEKANIUM IS IN PLACE. THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE."**

**"THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION,"** the first Dalek said as a pig man grabbed a man towards it.

**"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE,"** the Dalek said. **"READING BRAIN WAVES. LOW INTELLIGENCE."**

"You calling me stupid?" the man asked.

**"THIS ONE WILL BECOME A PIG SLAVE."**

Two of the pig men advanced on the man and took him away. "No, let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!"

As the Dalek moved to the next in line, Martha whispered to Rose, "Got a plan?"

"Um, not really," she admitted. "But I know once they'll see me, all hell's gonna break loose."

"Why you?"

"Oh, you know…we've dealt with these gits before, and it's never pretty."

"So what're you gonna do?"

Rose simply shrugged. "Say hello."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor held in his breath as he along with Tallulah and Lazlo watched as the Daleks scanned the prisoners. He let out his breath in a sigh of relief when he saw both Rose and Martha, as well as Frank, together and unharmed. No doubt Rose was seething and probably a little upset at seeing these blooming Daleks again after the destruction at Canary Wharf, but she appeared calm on the outside.

"They're divided into two groups - high intelligence and low intelligence," Lazlo explained quietly as they watched. "The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair!" Tallulah said loudly before the Doctor shushed her. She turned to Lazlo and whispered. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"What about the high intelligence?" the Doctor asked.

"They're taken to the laboratory," Lazlo answered.

"Why? What for?"

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final Experiment."

The Dalek proclaimed Frank to be of high intelligence before moving to Martha. **"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."**

The Doctor's breath hitched when it scanned Rose. **"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."** He couldn't help but smile inwardly at that. She was brilliant no matter how many times she was in denial.

Just as the first Dalek made its way to the next in line, the other one rolled up to Rose. **"WAIT! THE FEMALE IS IDENTIFIED AS A COMPANION OF THE DOCTOR. SHE IS THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR: AN ENEMY TO THE DALEKS!"**

Rose simply smiled raised a hand to wave. "Hello," she said casually.

**"WHERE IS THE DOCTOR?! REPORT!"** the Dalek ordered, rolling closer to her.

She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why? Ya scared he's gonna ruin your experiment?"

**"WHERE IS HE? REPORT!"**

She thrust her arms out as she screamed back at the Dalek. "D'you see him anywhere? Is he around here? Scan the area, check it out. You're not gonna find him."

The Dalek was silent as it checked the scans, its eyestalk moving up and down. From where the Doctor stood watching, his hearts were beating rapidly. Rose's bravery was one of her most admirable qualities, but he worried that she put herself in even greater danger.

**"THE FEMALE WILL BECOME PART OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT,"** the Dalek proclaimed as it finished its scans. **"SECURE THE COMPANION."**

At its order two other pig men grabbed a hold of Rose. "What's the matter? Afraid you might turn to dust just like the Emperor?" she taunted.

Rassilon, this brilliant, jeopardy friendly woman was going to be the cause of another regeneration.

**"SILENCE!"** The Dalek ordered.

Martha had been watching silently in shock and horror at the situation before crying out, "You can't just experiment on people! It's insane! It's inhuman!"

**"WE ARE NOT HUMAN. THE COMPANION OF THE DOCTOR AND THE PRISONERS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE TRANSGENIC LABORATORY."**

At the command the pig men gripping Rose trudged her along first before the rest of the line began to move. "Look out, they're moving!" The Doctor said quietly, pushing the three of them back as the Daleks began to move down the tunnel.

Lazlo tried to lead Tallulah away. "Doctor, quickly!" he called out quietly to him.

The Doctor turned to them. "I'm not coming, I've got an idea. You go."

Lazlo came back after convincing Tallulah to go back up. As the Daleks passed by the line of humans followed behind them. Lazlo moved up first and fell in line with the other pig men while the Doctor fell between Martha and Frank.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor said quietly.

Martha sighed in relief. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you_. _Rose is_—_"

"I know," he said in a hard voice.

After a few more moments of walking through the tunnels, they were finally led into the laboratory. Large tubes and various tables filled the area. The tension from Rose's body was very noticeable, at least to the Doctor. He was surprisingly calm at the moment and was focused solely on the task at hand. Moving to stand behind Frank and Martha, the Doctor blocked himself from view by leaning on the side.

Rose was brought into the center of the room, the Doctor keeping a close eye on her and waiting for the right moment to expose himself to the Daleks.

One of the Daleks stood near the back chained up and shaking. **"DALEK SEC IS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION,"** one of the other Daleks reported.

**"SCAN HIM. PREPARE FOR BIRTH."**

"Evolution?" the Doctor mumbled.

"Whaddaya mean 'evolution'?" Rose repeated his thoughts out loud. "What is this Final Experiment you're going on about?"

**"YOU WILL BEAR WITNESS,"** one answered.

"To what?" she asked.

**"THIS IS THE DAWN OF THE NEW AGE."**

"What does that _mean?"_

**"WE ARE THE ONLY FOUR DALEKS IN EXISTENCE,"** one of them told. "**THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE A LIFE OUTSIDE THE SHELL. THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN."**

Dalek Sec suddenly stopped shaking and became still. His shell hissed before opening and revealing an appalling sight. A figure with a highly altered face with one eye, a large brain visible on top of its head with tentacles hanging from it stood proudly with its humanoid body.

Martha's eyes widened in shock at the creature before them. "What is it?" she whispered to the Doctor.

"I am a human Dalek," it spoke with a normal voice. "I am your future."


	18. Evolution of the Daleks Part 1

**A/N: ****Made it to 100 reviews! Don't mind me, it's a milestone. So thank you all for your feedback! :D *gives virtual hugs and cookies***

**Shout out to _Sebastian Max_ and _Candy thy Cutie_ for getting that reference at the end of Chapter 16. If anyone was curious about that, Camp Lazlo was a cartoon on Cartoon Network about a group of various animal scouts, and Lazlo was a monkey.**

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Evolution of the Daleks Part 1**_

Rose audibly swallowed at the sight of the human-Dalek hybrid before her. If _regular_ Daleks were bad enough, what would a hybrid do? While these things still terrified her a little inside, Rose knew how fearful the Daleks were of both her and the Doctor. Speaking of which, he was probably_—_no, he was _definitely_ on his way to just saunter in here at any moment.

"These…humans will become like me," Dalek Sec stated. "Prepare them for hybridization."

The pig men began to move towards the group of humans, and right on cue, music started to play and fill the room, making Rose bite back on a laugh. Everyone froze and looked around for the source.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec demanded.

"That would be me," the Doctor said, making his grand entrance stepping into view with his hands casually in his pockets. He took out one to turn down the radio that was conveniently placed on a table. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

Dalek Sec's eye widened. "Doctor!"

**"HE IS JOINED WITH THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR! THE ENEMIES OF THE DALEKS,"** another Dalek yelled.

"Yep, that's us. Can't have a reunion without," he said nonchalantly. Dropping his hand still on the radio, the Doctor buried it back in his pocket and walked over to Rose. "You all right?"

"Yeah, you know…" she trailed off with a smile. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Seems to be the norm," he commented. "We'll have to work on that."

**"EXTERMINATE!"** a Dalek screamed.

They started to advance on them with their guns raising. "Wait!" Dalek Sec ordered as he put up his hands to stop them.

Both Rose and the Doctor raised their brows in surprise as the Daleks obeyed. That's different. He walked slowly towards Sec. "Well, then. A new form of Dalek." He turned to Rose. "Who'd've imagined?" She shrugged, remaining in her spot while the Doctor turned back to Sec. "Fascinating…and very clever."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter," Sec told him.

Rose snorted incredulously. "_His_ slaughter? I guess you weren't the ones going around shootin' people_—_"

"Rose," the Doctor gave her a warning look and held a hand up to stop her from going off…_again_. They needed to know exactly how they survived. "How did you end up in 1930?" he asked Sec.

"Emergency Temporal Shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" the Doctor said as he began to wander around the lab. "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead you're skulking away. Hidden in the dark…_experimenting_. All of which results in you."

"I am Dalek in human form," Sec said.

"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it?" he asked. "That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

Sec blinked as he spoke slowly. "I…feel…humanity."

"Good," the Doctor said, with a nod. "That's good."

"I…feel…everything we wanted from mankind_—_which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such…a genius for war."

Rose felt her stomach drop. Even when crossed with human traits, a Dalek is still a _Dalek._

"No, that's not what humanity means," the Doctor told him sternly.

"I think it does. At heart, this species is so very…Dalek."

"Alright, so what have you achieved then? With this Final Experiment, eh? _Nothing!"_ The Doctor sneered. "'Cause I can show you what you're missing with this thing," he indicated the radio and pat it. "Simple little radio."

**"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT DEVICE?"** one of the Daleks asked.

He simply shrugged. "Well, exactly_—_it plays music. What's the point of that?" He tilted his head back and forth as he spoke. "Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it…" He winked at Rose. "Fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course, then it's just noise."

In a flash the Doctor whipped out the sonic and aimed it at the radio, emitting that high pitched screech Rose hated so much. Everyone covered their ears while the Daleks shook their eyestalks and screamed as they huddled around Sec as protection.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted at the prisoners, while grabbing Rose's waist and pulling her to along as they dashed back out into the tunnels.

"I thought I told you not to make that noise!" Rose yelled, her ears still ringing and fighting the spots before her eyes.

"Had to escape, didn't we?" He said over his shoulder before throwing her an apologetic smile. Noises like that were sensitive to humans alone, but Rose had enhanced traits, so it was far worse.

Catching up to the others, Martha skidded to a stop and looked around at the conjoined paths, unsure of which way to go. The Doctor flew right by her and chose the path for them, twisting through the tunnels. Rose saw Tallulah up one of the tunnels and called for her to follow.

Finally they made it to a ladder. "C'mon! Everyone up!" The Doctor yelled as he forced everyone to go ahead of him, making sure everyone got out safe. Once they all made it out, he climbed up last and joined everyone back in the dark Hooverville town, huddling around small fires.

Reaching out a hand he grabbed Rose's arm from behind, spinning her around into a tight hug. "I take it you're not upset with me for getting captured and telling off the Daleks?" Rose said breathlessly as his arms crushed her body.

"Oh, no, I'm not _upset_, but I _was_ on the verge of having a bloody hearts attack," he said, nuzzling her hair before pressing a kiss on her temple, then whispered in her ear. "You brilliant, jeopardy friendly girl. You'll make me regenerate on the spot one day. Always getting into trouble."

"Well, how else could I be saved by my Doctor?" Rose teased. She heard him growl before he lowered his head to kiss the soft spot on her neck he favored so much. "How did they survive?" she said in a whisper. "Why do they always manage to escape while we…" she trailed off, closing her eyes. She couldn't even finish her question as her heart ached. After everything that happened at Canary Wharf, they _still_ managed to get away without any loss.

Pulling back, the Doctor brought a hand to her face, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "It's what they do, Rose," he said in a soft yet hard tone. "They come back to destroy everything that belongs to us." He waited for her to open her eyes as he then shook his head, replaying the words he had just said. "No…not _everything_."

He leaned down to press his lips firmly to hers, reassuring her that no matter how many times they encounter those hateful creatures, they'll always have each other. And that will never be taken away from either of them.

He pulled back again and moved his hand down to her arm, while his other held her chin up to him. "I won't let them take anything else of ours," he swore quietly.

She never doubted him. While it was true that they both had lost so much from those bloody pepper pots, one thing was certain was that they would never take away _this._ Not the Daleks, not even the universe. Nothing will.

Rose nodded at him as she grabbed his other hand to walk over to the rest of the group. "We should tell them what's going on," she said quietly.

As the Doctor explained to Solomon what had happened with the Daleks, the man couldn't believe one word of the whole thing. "These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares." he said with disbelief. "And they want to breed?"

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville," the Doctor said, before instructing him. "You've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere_—_down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."

Solomon shook his head. "There's got to be a way to reason with these things."

"There's not!" Rose exclaimed. "You _can't_ reason with them, that's why you have to get out of here. I know for a fact 'cause I tried, and it backfired. I showed sympathy to a Dalek when it was vulnerable, and you know what happened? People _died_! All because I tried to get one to show a sensitive side of itself, and it wound up killing anyway. Never would I trust one of those monsters again. They don't have a heart, which is why they couldn't care about others." She stepped up to the man and poked him in the chest. "So, when the Doctor says to get everyone out, then _get everyone_ _out_!"

Solomon stared at her, unsure of what to say. He wasn't the only one - the Doctor was completely speechless at Rose's anger. He tried not to remember that day back in Utah. That Dalek even tried to reason with himself and he unleashed his own fury on the creature, scaring it. But when Rose came to it, she showed compassion and it only triggered its own hateful anger. And she herself almost died.

Closing his eyes, he tried to rid himself of that horrible day. Here she was, the girl who always tells him to stop feeling guilty whereas she's held that admittance inside of her for two years. However she shouldn't feel guilty about that since it _wasn't_ her fault. It's what Daleks do_—_they destroy.

"You ain't seen 'em, boss," Frank spoke up. "I think they have a point."

Wrapping an arm around Rose's shoulders and pulling her close, he pressed a kiss to her hair before reassuring Solomon. "Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them _more_ dangerous than ever."

Someone in the distance whistled at the town. "A sentry," Solomon said. "Must have seen something."

"They're here!" the sentry cried, running towards them. stumbled. "I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!"

The Doctor's face hardened. "It's started."

"We're under attack!" Solomon shouted. "Everyone to arms!" Following his orders the men around them started collecting guns and whatever else could be used as weapons. Rose swallowed as she looked over at the people. She hated to think in such a way, but they wouldn't be able to win this fight. As most of the men prepared themselves, other residents attempted to flee from the town.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted after them "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park," Martha told him.

The Doctor shook his head. "We can't! They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us."

Tallulah sat on a crate and moaned. "We're trapped!"

Rose walked over to her. "We'll get out of this, okay? I promise we'll fix this."

"You seem so sure," the showgirl said, still saddened. "How could you be so sure?"

She glanced back at the Doctor, who watched as everyone was readying themselves with guns and weapons before turning back to Tallulah. "'Cause it's what we do."

Someone shrieked as a Dalek flew above them. "What in this world_…_" Solomon said, stunned.

"It's the devil!" a man cried. "A devil in the sky! God save us all, it's damnation."

"Oh yeah?" Frank asked, raising his rifle. "We'll see about that!" He fired at the Dalek, but it wasn't effective.

The Doctor came up behind him and lowered the young man's gun. "That won't work. Bullets don't stop them."

"Doctor, look!" Rose called out.

"There's more than one coming," Martha added.

The other two Daleks flew in the sky and began to shoot their ray guns at people, killing some and injuring others. Shots that missed caused multiple explosions, causing people to scream in fear as they tried to escape. The Doctor moved right beside Rose to make sure he knew where she was. The last thing he needed was her to be attacked. She was close enough to being shot at already today, and she didn't need to again.

One of the Daleks hovered above slowly. **"THE HUMANS WILL SURRENDER."**

The Doctor stepped away from Rose and moved forward. "Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" he shouted angrily.

Rose saw Solomon take a step forward, but she grabbed his arm. "No, Solomon. You've gotta stay back."

He shook his arm out of her grasp only to be grabbed by the Doctor. "I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts, too. The both of ya."

"Solomon, _don't,_" the Doctor warned.

The man refused. "Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority. Just let me try." He pushed the Doctor aside and walked up to address the Dalek. Both he and Rose muttered in their shared indifference to this man's decision. It was basically a suicide, and they couldn't convince him otherwise.

"Daleks," Solomon began. "Ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" As a show of peace and trust he set his rifle down. "'Cause see, I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah_—__terrifies_ me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope…hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well…what do you say?"

There was a pause, and Rose gripped the Doctor's arm while he flitted his eyes between Solomon and the Dalek. Maybe something actually got through to them. They both hoped that just maybe, deep down_—_

**"EXTERMINATE!"**

And with that, any and all hope of a change was shattered when the Dalek shot Solomon with its ray gun, killing him dead.

"No! Solomon!" Frank cried as he fought by the crowd to mourn over the man's lifeless body. Both Rose and Martha gasped.

"They killed him," Martha breathed out with shock and disgust. "They just shot him on the spot." Rose moved to stand beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders to calm her down. No one should have to witness a cold blood killing, especially if it's from a bloody Dalek.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to see Rose comforting Martha, then back to Solomon's limp body and Frank breaking down in tears. His lips twitched as he gritted his teeth, seething in anger. They've done far too much after all this time. They manage to survive when he loses everything_—_well, _almost_ everything, and he wasn't losing her anytime soon. Definitely not today.

Something else he knew was definite was how much Rose was going to_hate_ him for what he was about to do.

Stepping forward, he shouted, "Daleks!" He got its attention, and he could feel Rose's gaze burning on the back of his head. "All right, so it's my turn!" He threw his arms out wide. "If you want volunteers, then take me! Take me with you if it'll stop you from attacking these people!"

Rose felt like the wind rushed out of her and couldn't breathe. He was telling the Daleks to take him_—_no, he was _ordering_! "Doctor…" her voice was broken, almost as much as her heart at the moment.

Keeping his eyes locked on the Dalek and letting his fury remain visible, the Doctor felt his hearts ache at the sound of Rose's voice behind him. As selfish and ridiculous as this act was, he was completely regretful for upsetting her and inwardly apologized for it.

**"I WILL BE THE DESTROYER OF OUR GREATEST ENEMY,"** the Dalek stated. If it had any emotions, it definitely would have been laughing maniacally out of sheer joy.

"Then do it! Do it!" The Doctor shouted, pounding on his chest over each heart, tempting the Dalek even more. "Just do it!"

**"EXTERMINATE!"**

"NOOOO!"

Once Rose found her breath and held it it, she found a surge of strength as she lunged herself at the Doctor, trying to tackle him to the ground. They both struggled as he kept himself up and attempted to push her aside, but she had a firm grip on his arms, holding them behind his back. But he was too strong as he turned around in her hold and tried to push her away, but she fisted his jacket.

"Rose, get back!" he yelled.

"I ain't gonna just let you kill yourself!" she yelled back, fighting against his grip on her arms as she held onto him for dear life.

They realized that the Dalek hadn't fired. Both she and the Doctor froze, staring up in shock and suspicion. It hesitated_—_no, _it held back._

**"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. IT IS THE DOCTOR."** It paused as its gun wavered towards the Doctor and Rose kept a firm grip on him. They could tell it was listening to someone else in their communications. **"AND THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR?"** Its gun moved towards Rose, and the Doctor gripped her tight as he held his breath, waiting for something to happen.**"THE URGE TO KILL IS TOO STRONG,"** it said with a strangled voice.**"I...OBEY."**

With that, the Dalek lowered its gun while the Doctor and Rose exchanged a shocked look before turning back to the Dalek. "What's going on?" the Doctor demanded.

**"YOU WILL FOLLOW,"** it told him.

"No!" Martha shouted from behind. "You can't go!"

Rose was gobsmacked. _A_ _Dalek changed its mind._ It didn't kill! While she was relieved that the Doctor wasn't killed_—_well, that either of them were killed for that matter_—_she was still fearful about what they wanted with him. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she fought them back.

The Doctor noticed it and looked at her with a softened expression before turning back to Martha. "Martha, the Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks _never_ change their minds."

She gestured to the group. "But what about us?"

He brought his eyes up and took in all of the terrified faces. All of these people could still be in danger. He spun back to the Dalek. "One condition!" he shouted, also gesturing at the group. "If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here!" Do you hear me?"

**"THE HUMANS WILL BE SPARED. DOCTOR...FOLLOW."**

Before he could move, Martha spoke again. "Then we're coming with you."

He turned to her. "Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt, you can help them." Turning to Rose he softened, putting a hand on her cheek and brushing back a stray tear that fell from her eye with his thumb. She wouldn't want to leave him go alone now, but she had to. "You have to stay, too." She opened her mouth to protest, but he beat her to it. "Rose, please. I know you hate this, believe me, I know. I'm _not_ leaving you aside. Stay and help these people. It's also what you do best, my brilliant Rose."

Another tear fell from her eye as she sniffed and shook her head. "I still don't trust them," she said quietly.

"I know, neither do I," he said softly, catching the tear with his thumb and caressing her cheek. "But they changed their minds for a moment, and that's a rarity in itself," he leaned closer to her. "I'll come back for you, Rose. You know I _always_ do." He swallowed before whispering, "I love you."

Without another word he brought his other hand up to fully cup her face as he crashed his lips down to hers, kissing her fiercely. Her hands made their way into his hair as he flicked his tongue over her seam and deepened the kiss. One of his hands left her face and wrapped around her back, sliding down until he made it to her bum. She felt him slip something inside her back pocket, something probably useful.

He pulled away far sooner than she wanted him to and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his hand still caressing her face. Rose placed her hand over his wrist and gave him a gentle squeeze, looking him in the eye as she whispered back. "I love you, too."

He gave her one more brief kiss then walked away to follow the Daleks before they had another change of heart_—_if they had one, that is. Looking back at her, he threw her a wink before he was gone from her sight.

Biting back on a sob as he left, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the psychic paper. What did he want her to do with it?

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha went right to work at doing her duty as a doctor, well technically speaking she was still a doctor in training, but that didn't exclude her from any knowledge of the occupation. Setting up materials in Solomon's tent, she tended to those who were injured, and thankfully no one had anything severe except for some cuts.

Rose was also a big help for her, calming the injured down as they panicked before she began pacing around with the psychic paper in her hands. Martha couldn't help but be shocked at this side of the young blonde. Never would she have pegged Rose as a _killer_ of…well, _anything. _Apparently she and the Doctor are sworn enemies to these Daleks, and whenever they meet it's just like Rose had said: all Hell breaks loose. She wasn't kidding.

Those two may have opened up a little to her, but they were still immensely mysterious to her, and all the same just…brilliant. And after witnessing the emotional impact these creatures had on them was nerve racking. She watched in horror as the Doctor had sacrificed himself to the Daleks, begging them to take him away in return for the safety of the townspeople, and then Rose came up to stop him by throwing herself at him. If the Dalek hadn't changed its mind, both of them could've died. Martha couldn't describe exactly how she felt at such bravery and strength that these two had. Being in love was one thing, but what those two had was exceptional and over the top for sure.

Just as Martha finished tending to a man's injuries Tallulah sat down on a crate. "So what about us? What do we do now?"

Rose stopped pacing and tapped the psychic paper on her palm. "I'm not sure, but the Doctor gave me this for a reason."

"What's that for?" Tallulah asked, eyeing the wallet.

"Psychic paper," Rose said, holding it up. "The Doctor uses it to get into places, buildings_—_basically makes people think you're important." She lowered her hand and stared at it. "He must want us to go somewhere, but I dunno where."

Tapping it against her chin, Rose began to pace again. Obviously wherever he needed them to go was guarded, hence the psychic paper, but where exactly?

"Wait a minute," Martha spoke up, "Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned something about some…energy conductor."

Rose nodded. "Yeah…what was it? Something…" her brows shot up as she exclaimed, "Dalekanium! They said that the Dalekanium was in place, that's the energy conductor." Now they were getting somewhere. She licked her lips as she thought. "But where…? Some building…"

"That Diagoras guy could be involved," Martha suggested.

"Good point, let's ask Frank about what else he got them to work on."

Both women stepped out from the tent and found Frank seated on a crate, still mourning over Solomon's death. After exchanging a sympathetic glance, they slowly approached the young man.

"Frank?" Martha asked softly.

"Hm?" the boy said, wiping his tear streaked face.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere."

"But where, though?" Rose asked. "What sort of things?"

Frank shrugged. "You name it. We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work - that pays the best."

"What sort of building work?"

"Mainly building that," he pointed up at the building behind him_—_the Empire State building.

"Of course," Rose declared. "Thanks, Frank. That was very helpful," she turned to Martha. "C'mon, Martha," she waved the psychic paper in the air, "We've got somewhere to be."

"Now, hold on," Frank began, standing up. "I can't let you two venture out there alone."

"And you're not leaving me behind," Tallulah said, joining them outside.

Rose flitted her eyes at the three of them and nodded. Now she knew how the Doctor felt. "Alright then, c'mon. We're going sightseeing."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Never in all of his lives did the Doctor ever fathom the thought of him working with _Daleks,_ but this wasn't really for them, but for another race. Still, he was so conflicted.

Back in the laboratory he began working_—_no, he was actually _helping _them. Well, truth be told it was _Sec_ he was working with, not the others. The Doctor was shocked at the hybrid's morals, proving just how dominant his human half really was. Not only did he want to make a new species that could thrive, but the new race would be more human than Dalek_—_with emotions and a heart_—_excluding _everything_ that made one a Dalek.

He summoned the Doctor to help him with the gene sequence, trying to make each empty human shell in the lab contain more human genetics than Dalek. Sec needed to use an energy converter with a strong enough blast of gamma radiation to send the genetic codes in each body to wake them up, hence the reason why they chose the Empire State building_—_on this date the Sun would release that much power.

Of course he had wondered exactly what the other Daleks thought about this, but they claimed that they obeyed Sec as he was their leader. He even admitted that not only the deaths to the townspeople were wrong but so was the very _purpose_ of the Daleks. Though he still felt an odd suspicion at the other Daleks actually agreeing to this plan, Sec proved to be determined to make a better race, one that could surpass and avoid extinction. One that wouldn't destroy. In the back of his mind the Doctor was hoping that it was true with this process. It could lead the Daleks, a race so dark and damaged to be freed from their hate.

One person can change the course of history. The right idea in the right place at the right time is all it takes. He had to believe it was possible.

But he was still cautious at this act, and kept his guard up at all times. After all this race was one of the very reasons why he was the last of his own kind_—_why Rose could never see her mother again. By rights he shouldn't be helping them with _anything_. As much as he despised them with all of his hearts, he still had to give them a chance. But that would be it_—__one_ chance. No more after that. This could very well be their one opportunity of peace, so for their sake, as well as his own, they had better_accept_ it.

The only thing he could do was wait and see how this pans out.

At this very moment, the Doctor hoped that Rose was coming up with a plan. But he really didn't have to hope for it because he was certain it was occurring right now. She was brilliant, as was Martha, so he was confident that they'd figure something out. Of course, there was only eleven minutes until the energy converter would work, so hopefully they worked it out fast.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State," Martha said as they piled into the lift. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."

"Welcome to our world," Rose told her.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked.

"Straight to the top, where they're still building," Rose answered. "Whatever we're looking for has got to be somewhere up there."

"How come those guys just let us through?" Tallulah asked pointing at the psychic paper. "How's that thing work?"

Rose held up the trusty wallet and smiled. "Psychic paper - it shows people what you want them to see." She lowered it to read the information listed. "According to this, we're a bunch of architects and engineers." She inwardly laughed at how gullible those guys were. If the Doctor were here he'd be mocking them. _Silly humans._

Tallulah raised her brows in amazement while Martha chuckled. "Mind if I borrow that when I go back home? It takes the pressure off of taking exams."

Rose laughed at her as she put it away. Once the elevator reached the top floor, they found themselves in an empty room with wood and unpainted walls.

Each of them scanned the room in different directions, trying to find any clues to the Daleks' plans while Tallulah stood facing the outside, looking out at the city below. "Look at this place. Top of the world."

Large architectural diagrams and blueprints were on display, clipped to boards. Martha immediately ran over to them. "Rose, look at these."

Rose, followed by Frank, moved over to where she was and nodded at her findings. "Now we're getting somewhere."

As they glanced at the diagrams, Frank pointed something out. "Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"They're all from before," Martha said, pointing at the first sheet. "That means whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not these other ones. We need to check them against each other."

Just as she took them down to spread out on the floor, Tallulah began to walk towards the edge of the floor. "The height of this place! This is amazing!"

"Don't stand so close!" Rose called out to her.

"I just wanna see."

"Just…" Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Just come back here, please. We don't want anyone fallin' off. That's a long way down."

Tallulah obeyed as she began to come back to them as they studied the diagrams carefully, looking for the changes between the old and new ones. Frank looked up from the sheets. "I'll go and keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody buttin' in."

As Martha and Rose nodded at him before he left, Tallulah knelt beside them. "There's a hell of a storm movin' in," she said.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha said. "He'd know what we're looking for."

"Knowing him, he already _does_," Rose said with a snort. "But whatever it is, we've gotta find it. It's gotta be up here."

Hopefully they'd find whatever they're looking for quickly, because with each second that went by Rose grew concerned about the Doctor being with the Daleks. Of course he knows what he was doing, she never doubted him. She just hoped he wasn't trying to get himself killed…again.


	19. Evolution of the Daleks Part 2

**A/N: I didn't feel the need to drag these into three, and I really wanted to get to Lazarus. ****As always, many thanks to all of those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! Much love! -Angie ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 19: Evolution of the Daleks Part 2**_

"So tell me, where did you and your man first hook up?" Tallulah asked Rose out of curiosity.

"A couple years ago," she answered as her eyes remained on the diagrams. "My job blew up and he saved my life. Then later on the next day, I saved his. We've been traveling together ever since."

"Oh, that's so sweet," the showgirl said with a smile. She turned to Martha. "What about you? How'd you get involved with them?"

"We met in a hospital…sort of," Martha said. Probably not best to say they ended up on the moon.

Tallulah nodded with a knowing smile. "'Course, him being a doctor."

"Actually, I'm a doctor," she tilted her head. "Well, kind of."

"You're a physician? Really?"

Martha nodded. "I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

Tallulah turned to Rose. "Are you a doctor too? You could be doctors together!"

Rose laughed at that. "No, not me. I used to work in a shop."

"Oh, what a partnership that would be if you were though! Still, the way you two are together it's not hard to see how close you are."

Martha snorted. "I think everyone says that."

Rose shrugged. "Well, we _are_."

"I gotta say that was one hell of a kiss back there," Tallulah commented, making Rose blush. "Tell you one thing, if he does that all the time then you've got yourself a keeper." Rose smiled shyly. "You got real possibilities with that one," the showgirl continued before softly saying, "Wish I could still say the same."

"Listen," Martha said. "If the Doctor's with Lazlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out."

"And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

Reaching out a hand, Rose rubbed the woman's arm comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, Tallulah."

The showgirl nodded as she sniffled. Without saying another word, she stood up and moved away, still sniffling as she held back her tears. Rose and Martha glanced at each other with sad frowns at the poor woman before returning to examining the plans.

"Gotcha!" Martha suddenly shouted. "Look…" she pointed at the diagram at her discovery. "There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"

Rose smiled widely and threw her arms around Martha. "Oh, Martha, you're brilliant!"

Tallulah ran back over to them. "Added what?"

Both Martha and Rose stood up from the ground, simultaneously exclaiming, "Dalekanium!"

Frank ran over to join him in their excitement. "What do we do with it?"

Rose's smile faded. "I…have no idea," she admitted. "But we've gotta get it off somehow…"

Everyone froze when they heard the bell ding for the lift. What was coming up? Rose's breath hitched when the doors opened, awaiting for what could come out.

And then she was relieved to see who it was. "Doctor!" Both Rose and Martha cried happily.

"First floor, perfumery," he said with a smile. Not even hesitating, Rose ran right over to him and threw herself in his arms. He lifted her off of the ground, holding her tight and spinning her around in a full circle.

"Hello," she said, smiling as he stopped to set her down.

"Hel-_umph."_

He didn't get a chance to say his greeting as Rose pulled back and kissed him hard. She was still furious at him for sacrificing himself yet again, but thankful he was all right. And he said that _she _almost gave _him_ a hearts attack. Well, she only had the one and she was on the verge of having a stroke because of him.

When she pulled back, she swatted his chest and gave him a serious look. "We're gonna have a serious talk about you and your sacrificial methods."

"Yeah, we'll work on that," he agreed with a nod. "What'd you find?"

Rose led him over to their findings, also noticing how Tallulah had reunited with Lazlo, while Martha told the Doctor everything. "We worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast." Martha smiled at him. "And it's good to see you too, by the way."

The Doctor grinned back at her. "Oh, come here," he grabbed her in a bear hug of her own_—_until the lift made another ding and the door closed. Dropping Martha to her feet, he ran over to it. "No, no, no!" With the sonic in his hand he tried to pry it open, only resulting in him cursing in his home language and banging on the door. "It's a deadlock seal, I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks, and they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

Frank looked at his watch. "11:15."

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah asked, pulling back from Lazlo. "What the heck is that?"

Instead of answering her the Doctor ran outside to the scaffolding, the others following. Rose noticed his eyes widen a little as well as his skin turning a shade paler once he looked down. "Oh, that's high," he said. "That's very…Blimey, that's high."

"Yeah, and we've gotta go higher," Rose said, pointing higher to the top. "Up to the mast. There's three pieces of Dalekanium attached to the base, and we've got to get them off right away."

He turned to her and shook his head. "That's not 'we'. That's just me."

"No, I'm not just gonna stand here and watch_—_"

"No, Rose," he said quickly. "I'm not leaving you aside. You're going to have your hands full anyway. The Daleks are coming, but they'll probably send the pig slaves first, so you'll have a chance. I'm sorry, Rose, but you've got to fight," he glanced up at the others. "All of you."

Rose let out a sigh. She wasn't going to argue right now. They needed to get this done in six minutes…or probably five now. She nodded and grabbed his forearm. "Be careful."

"You too," he looked over at the rest. "All of you be ready."

They all nodded back at him and turned to go back inside. Rose, however, stayed. "Don't do anything daft," she warned.

"I'll try," he said with a small smirk before leaning down to kiss her forehead quickly then turned to climb up the ladder all the way to the top. Rose watched him for a moment before joining the others.

While the Doctor climbed up to the top of the building, the rest of the group armed themselves with various tools they found lying around on the floor, readying for the fight against what comes out of the lift. Standing together in a line they were prepared when the door made the ding, telling them it was coming up.

"I should've brought that gun," Frank muttered.

Lazlo moved to push the girls behind him. "Tallulah, stay back. You too, girls. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

Both Rose and Martha fought back from his grip. "The Doctor needs us to fight," Martha said firmly.

"We're not going anywhere!" Rose told him.

"They're savages!" Lazlo yelled. "I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth!" He tried to lift up the sledgehammer he was holding, but wound up collapsing to the floor near one of the pillars, breathing heavily.

Tallulah knelt beside him. "Lazlo? What is it?"

He shook his head. "No, it's nothing, I'm fine. Just leave me."

She placed her hands on his face. "Oh, honey, you're burning up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."

Frank groaned before whispering to Rose and Martha, "Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet."

"It's not looking good, Frank," Martha agreed.

"Don't say that, we'll be all right," Rose cut in.

"We're going to get slaughtered!"

"No, we won't! We're gonna just_—_"

She was cut off by a crackling of thunder along with lightning. Both Martha and Rose turned to look outside before exchanging a thoughtful expression. Then it hit them as they exclaimed in unison. "The lightning!"

The girls ran out to collect pieces of metal from the scaffolding, anything that could work. It took Frank a moment to realize what they had in mind until he joined them to help with other scraps.

Tallulah was still inside, soothing Lazlo as he sat on the ground sweating profusely. "Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry," she turned her head to the three of them outside. "What the hell are you clowns doing?"

"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit. Great big bolt of lightning," Martha explained as she lifted a heavy pole.

"Electricity all down this building_—_if we connect this to the lift then they get zapped," Rose added, also lifting up a large piece of metal with the help of Frank.

Tallulah's brows shot up in surprise. "Oh, my God, that could work!"

"Then give us a hand," Frank said breathlessly in annoyance. The showgirl complied as she along with Lazlo helped the others in lining up the metal to the lift, keeping them all attached.

Once everything was set, the group stood together in the center of the room, preparing themselves for the lift to arrive while Frank ran out to the scaffolding. "Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked to be sure.

"It's got to," Martha said after taking a deep breath.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank said as he came back inside.

"That's good, Frank," Rose said. "Remember not to touch anything metal, everyone!"

A twitchy feeling came to her as the lift finally came up and opened, revealing a group of the pig slaves. Waiting for something, anything to happen, they just stood there snorting. But before they all could fear for their lives a lightning bolt struck the Empire State building, sending the electric shock rapidly through the metal and coming into contact with the pig men. They shook in convulsions as the strike shot through them, high pitched squeals escaping them in the process.

Suddenly they all silenced until collapsing to the ground. "All roasted," Frank commented.

Martha and Rose ran over to the group while Tallulah exclaimed, "You did it, girls!"

"They used to be like Lazlo," Martha said quietly as both she and Rose examined the lifeless bodies. "They were people, and I killed them."

Rose put a hand on her shoulder. "No, you didn't, Martha. They weren't people anymore."

"She's right," Lazlo agreed. "The Daleks killed them long ago."

Rose understood how Martha was feeling, but these people were already taken away from their former selves. As she rubbed her shoulder, she suddenly remembered. "Oh, my God, the Doctor!"

Releasing Martha, she ran outside to the scaffolding, hearing the others following. _Oh, please be okay. Please, please, please._ As she kept praying to herself that he wasn't hurt, she immediately started to climb when Martha called her. "Rose, look!" Following where she was pointing, Rose felt her stomach drop as a slight chill hit her.

The sonic screwdriver was laying on the ledge just left forgotten. _Oh, no_. Taking it in her hand, she began to climb up the ladder at a faster pace, trying to get to the Doctor quickly, fearing the worst.

Once she made it to the top of the platform she saw the Dalekanium still attached to the mast and the Doctor lying flat on the ground unconscious to the side. "Doctor!"

She ran over to him kneeling down to check on him. Placing a hand on his face, she turned his head and put two fingers on his neck. She let out a breath of relief, the double pulse was still there. With the sonic still in her hand, Rose leaned over to wave it in his face.

"Found your sonic. You're starting to get careless, this is still new. You know you're useless without it," she said with a small chuckle. He didn't respond. "Oh, please wake up, c'mon…"

Finally the Doctor began to stir as he groaned and furrowed his brows. "Oh…my head."

She grinned at him, resting her hand on his chest. "Hello."

His eyes blinked but were slightly opened. "Hello."

He returned the grin weakly as he raised a hand to place it on the side of her face, brushing her cheekbone with his thumb. Rose put the sonic back in his jacket before poking him in the chest.

"You must enjoy makin' me worry sick about you."

"No, but I seem to make a habit out of it," he said sheepishly.

"Well, we're on mutual ground," she said. "Struck by lightning again, though? Was it worse than when you met Benjamin Franklin?"

The Doctor chuckled quietly. "A close second."

"You two aren't happy unless you're worrying each other it seems," Martha commented from the side. "But Doctor, I can't help noticing…there's Dalekanium still attached."

At that his eyes fully opened wide and he shot straight up in a seated position, turning his head to the mast. "That it is. Come on! We need to get back down." Quickly rising to his feet, they made their way back down the ladder to join the others. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," he explained as he gazed out to the city. "They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

He turned away from the outside to face the others. "There's only one chance. I got in the way_—_that gamma strike went zapping through me first."

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked.

"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them." Rose inwardly sighed. Of course he wanted to face them, but if he was to throw himself out there on the spot to get killed again, she was definitely going to slap him_—_after saving him that is.

"Where can I draw them out?" He began to pace around the room with his hair thrust in his hair before stopping in the center. "Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way," he turned around and exclaimed. "Tallulah!"

"That's me. Three Ls and an H," she said happily.

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"

She shrugged. "Don't see why not."

He turned to Rose. "Is there another lift?"

"Yeah, we came up in the service elevator," she answered.

"That'll do," he grinned widely and grabbed Rose's hand. "Allons-y!"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

They finally made it down to the theatre, as it was empty, cold, and dark. Running down the aisle, the Doctor climbed over the seats and waved the sonic around. "This should do it, here we go."

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah said as she pulled her coat tighter around her to fight the chill.

"Oh, believe me, it could be a lot worse," Rose commented, noticing the Doctor glance over at her.

Lazlo suddenly collapsed down onto a seat, wheezing. "Lazlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah asked concerned.

"Nothing," he told her. "It's just so hot."

"But…it's _freezing_ in here," the showgirl turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah. Sorry," he answered distractedly, holding the sonic to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemy," he told. "I'm just telling them where I am."

Rose knew exactly where this was headed. "You mean where _we_ are," she corrected.

He turned to her with furrowed brows. "What?" Then it hit him. "Oh, no. You're_—_"

"Don't you dare," she said sternly. "You were left alone with them once already today, and I'm definitely _not_ leaving you by yourself with them again. I'm as much as an enemy to them as you are, and I'm not leaving."

The Doctor let out a frustrated noise. "Listen, you all need to get out of here before the Daleks and their army get here. Go back and wait for me in Hooverville."

"No way!" Martha protested.

He made another annoyed sound. Before he could warn them again the theater doors burst open as lines of the human Daleks occupied the aisles, their faces expressionless. They formed around like a barrier, cutting them off from any exits. The Doctor cursed inwardly as his eyes raked over the army.

"Well I guess that's them then, huh?" Tallulah asked fearfully.

"Humans with Dalek DNA?" Martha said, eyeing them.

Frank made a move to attack them, but the Doctor pulled him back. "It's all right," he said. "Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters?" Lazlo asked. "Where are they?"

"Probably not too far behind," Rose said.

As if on cue an explosion blasted from the stage causing all of them to duck behind the row of seats. Both the Doctor and Rose peered over the seats slowly as they saw a cloud of smoke and pieces of wood fall off the edge. Two of the Daleks rolled out from the smoke with Sec crawling on all fours between them bound with a collar around his neck and a chain. Glancing over at Rose, the Doctor slowly stood up while the other followed suit.

They should've left. This could get ugly.

**"THE DOCTOR WILL STAND BEFORE THE DALEKS,"** one of them ordered.

Before he could do so Rose grabbed his hand. He glanced quickly at her to see the worried look in her eyes. She was strong, _always_ strong, especially when it came to the Daleks, since they took so much from her. But still she was a little scared by them, and right now she feared what was going to happen, and he hated seeing that worried look.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze he nodded at her with a softened, assuring look before stepping over a chair. He walked forward over the backs of the seats until he reached the front row in front of the Daleks, balancing himself on the armrests as he flitted his eyes between the two, staring them down hard.

**"YOU WILL DIE, DOCTOR. IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE."**

**"PLANET EARTH WILL BECOME NEW SKARO,"** the other Dalek said.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor sneered. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt." He gestured to the hybrid, now helpless and tied up like a stray. "That's Dalek Sec, don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"Listen to him," Sec pleaded with a raspy voice. "My Daleks, just understand this: if you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose _you_."

**"INCORRECT,"** the Dalek replied. **"WE WILL ALWAYS SURVIVE. NOW WE WILL DESTROY OUR GREATEST ENEMY, THE DOCTOR."**

"But he can help you…" Sec begged, shaking his head.

**"THE DOCTOR MUST DIE."**

Suddenly the Doctor felt a hand grasp his own. Whipping his head around with a mixture of shock and fear, he wasn't surprised at who came to stand beside him. "Rose, don't," he warned quietly through gritted teeth.

She kept her eyes to his own. "You're not doing this alone," she quietly said. He just stared at her in slight bewilderment at her courage. _Oh, this woman. This wonderful, brilliant, stubborn woman of his._

**"THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR WILL JOIN THE DOCTOR IN DEATH,"** the Dalek screamed once it noticed her presence. _How true that would be,_Rose thought. If they were to die, that's the way it would be. _Together._

Meanwhile Sec crawled in front of the Daleks. "No, I beg you, don't."

**"EXTERMINATE!"**

Rose's breath hitched at the order and squeezed the Doctor's hand, but this time the Dalek didn't hesitate. Its ray gun fired - and struck Sec as he stood to his feet and took the shot himself. He screamed before falling to the stage limply.

"They killed him," Rose whispered before adding with distaste. "All because he wanted change."

The Doctor shook his head. "Your own leader," he said with disgust. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He turned to the human Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is? If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot." He briefly glanced at Rose and squeezed her hand. She knew what he was thinking just by the look in his eye. Turning back to the Daleks he continued. "What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on," he let go of Rose's hand and held his arms out wide. "Baptize them."

One of the Daleks' eyestalks moved up and down, studying the Doctor in his tempting offer. Rose tilted her head before thrusting her own out wide. "Why not? It's a good deal, innit? Two for the price of one," she nodded her head. "Go on, do it," she challenged. For her sake and his own, his plan better work.

The Daleks considered their request, one of them saying, **"DALEK-HUMANS, TAKE AIM."** At its words the human Daleks cocked and aimed their weapons in synchronicity at them.

"What are you waiting for?" the Doctor challenged. "Give the command!"

**"EXTERMINATE!"** the Dalek ordered. In a split second, both the Doctor and Rose grabbed each other's hand firmly and each sucked in a breath preparing for fire until…nothing happened. Feeling relief, Rose squeezed his hand. He said that they had one chance, that the lightning strike went through him first on the mast.

**"EXTERMINATE!"** the Dalek repeated, only to receive the same result.

**"OBEY,"** the other Dalek ordered. **"DALEK-HUMANS WILL OBEY!"**

"Not firing," they heard Martha say in awe from behind. "What have you done?"

**"YOU WILL OBEY,"** the Dalek repeated. **"EXTERMINATE!"**

One of the humans faced the Dalek. "Why?"

**"DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION ORDERS,"** one replied, its shell shaking slightly. Rose inwardly laughed at its reaction.

"But why?"

**"YOU WILL STOP THIS."**

"But…why?" The human turned to the Doctor, who lowered his arms along with Rose.

**"YOU MUST NOT QUESTION."**

The human Dalek turned back to the full blooded ones. "But you are not our master. And we…we are not Daleks."

The Doctor nodded, stuffing the hand not holding Rose's in his pocket. "No, you're not," he said softly. "And you never will be." He turned to the Daleks with a face of innocence. "Sorry. I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up." He turned to Rose and winked. "Just that little bit of freedom." She couldn't help but give him a small smile at him, though she still really wanted to slap him silly for sacrificing himself _again_ today.

**"IF THEY WILL NOT OBEY, THEN THEY MUST DIE!"** The Dalek yelled before shooting the questioning man, killing him dead.

"Get down!" the Doctor screamed to the others behind them while pulling Rose down to the floor behind the rows of seats for cover as both species began to shoot at each other. Dying screams of the human hybrids as they fell to the ground followed by two explosions echoed in the theatre. Finally the shooting stopped as they cautiously stood up from the ground.

There were a group of the hybrids still alive and the Doctor addressed them softly as he moved closer to them with a small smile. "It's all right, it's all right. It's all right. You did it. You're free." But that short moment of relief was shattered as a high pitched wailing sound spread across the theatre causing the hybrids to clutch their heads.

"What the hell is that?" Rose asked, looking around at the humans as they convulsed.

Bodies began to fall to the ground and the Doctor yelled. "No!" He ran over to one of them to examine it. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"

Rose rushed to kneel beside him. "What happened?"

"They killed them," the Doctor said stunned, but Rose could easily sense his anger. "Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide." He spat out through gritted teeth.

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Lazlo informed. "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one."

Rose shook her head. "Of course there is. They _always_ get away."

"What are we supposed to do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor glanced up at her. "Head back to Hooverville," he turned to Rose and visibly swallowed.

"I'm coming with you," she told him.

She knew very well where he was planning to go, and he wasn't confronting the last existing Dalek by himself. Again. Simply nodding they both stood up. The Doctor retrieved his coat and shrugged it on furiously before reaching for her hand as they made their way to the laboratory. Her nerves were shaking both in anger and fear at what would come out of this, but with the Doctor by her side hopefully something good.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The last remaining Dalek was on the other side of the laboratory waiting for them as they entered. The Doctor came to a stop with Rose right beside him as he stared hard at it. Here they were_—_two survivors of two wiped out races, the last of their own kind. Where do they stand?

"Now what?" the Doctor asked.

**"YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"**

Rose snorted and crossed her arms. "Like we haven't heard that before."

**"YOU ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE DALEKS. YOU WILL DIE."**

The Doctor impatiently nodded. They already knew that spiel, they didn't need to hear it again. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," he spoke with annoyance. "Just think about it, Dalek, what was your name?"

**"DALEK CAAN,"** it answered.

"Dalek Caan," the Doctor repeated as he slowly walked over to it with Rose closely behind. "Your entire species has been wiped out, and now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated_—_leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion." He stopped until he was a few feet away from it. "Because I've just seen one genocide, I won't cause another. Caan, let me help you. What do you say?"

Rose held her breath for an answer, waiting to see what would happen next.

Suddenly Caan began to shake. **"EMERGENCY TEMPORAL SHIFT!"**

"No!" The Doctor shouted as he lunged forward to grab the Dalek, but was too late as it disappeared.

He growled and cursed inwardly before turning to Rose. Her eyes were closed but when she opened them they were misty with unshed tears and her hands shook at her sides as she balled them up into fists. Once again they got away, just as they always have, and now she was just as upset as he was_—_probably more. Walking over to her he pulled her into a quick hug and stroked her hair to calm her down when he heard a shout.

"Will they ever stop?" she whispered.

"It's their nature, Rose," he said softly.

"Doctor!" It was Martha. She along with Tallulah and Lazlo rushed in the laboratory, both women carrying the man as he severely wheezed. They gently lowered him to the floor before Tallulah held his head in her lap comfortingly. "Doctor, he's sick." The Doctor came over and knelt beside him. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah asked fearfully with a broken voice. "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe. What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Lazlo said quietly.

"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves…survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on cos I had you. But now…I'm dyin', Tallulah."

Rose exchanged a sad look with the Doctor. There had to be something he could do to help this poor man.

"No you're not," Tallulah said firmly. "Not now, after all this." She glanced up. "Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H…" the Doctor said sadly, before sucking in a breath and confidently proclaiming, "Just you watch me." He stood to his feet and swiftly shrugged off his coat, discarding it to the side. "What do I need? Oh, I don't know, how about a great big genetic laboratory?" He turned and grinned, thrusting his arms out. "Oh look, I've got one!"

Rose smiled proudly as he immediately ran around the lab and began to mix up chemical solutions in beakers, looking very much like a mad scientist. He continued to speak as he worked, "Lazlo, just you hold on. There's been _too_ many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am _not_ having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way," he took out his stethoscope and put it on. "The Doctor is in."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Doing all that he could the Doctor managed to save Lazlo from dying, however he wasn't able to return him fully back to human form. Though unfortunate that the man had to live out the rest of his life with the face of a pig, they were able to convince the people of Hooverville to give home a home, and Tallulah was still by his side. It may not be peaceful, but given the environment it was a given chance. As long as they loved one another, then that was all the reassurance that couple needed.

After saying their goodbyes the three made it back to the TARDIS on the Island, looking back one last time at the city. "Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asked.

The Doctor sighed. "I don't know. Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…"

"And maybe the odd-pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too," Rose finished.

Martha laughed. "The pig and the showgirl!"

"The pig and the showgirl," he nodded.

"It just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone," Martha said, eyeing the couple in front of her. The Doctor nodded again before turning to walk over to the TARDIS. "I've meant to say, I'm sorry."

He turned to her briefly as he unlocked the door. "What for?"

"Just because that Dalek got away. I know what that means to both of you," she said softly. "Think you'll ever see it again?"

"Oh, yes." He answered, opening the door and holding it for the girls. "One day."

As they made their way inside Martha noticed something shift in Rose, like some kind of uneasiness. Her anger and sadness from everything that happened today was too visible to hide, and she knew that not all of it had to do with confronting the Daleks again, but also by the Doctor's methods of handling them. They needed some space to talk amongst themselves.

"I'm gonna get changed and head off to bed, okay?" she told them.

The Doctor nodded. "No problem, have a nice rest."

Martha turned to walk down the corridor, leaving her friends alone to talk.

* * *

**Oh, boy. **


	20. Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

**A/N: Yeahhhh, you figured that Rose would be unhappy about the Doctor sacrificing himself again. ****Thanks to the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore you all ;)**

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_**Chapter 20: Hello Darkness, My Old Friend**_

Rose sat on the jump seat with one leg crossed over the other and picked at her nails. Her nerves had eased up somewhat after everything, but she was still shaken up. Not only did the last Dalek manage to escape, just as they _always_ did, but she was close to losing the Doctor to them__—t_wice. _Not counting the incident where he got himself electrocuted, which _also _was entirely daft and risky, but the other times had him standing before them with the tempting offer to shoot him.

He was all that she had left. Her mother was ripped away from her by those bloody pepper pots, as well as her friend. But she didn't know what she would do if the Doctor was taken from her by those hateful things. She'd be living on alone with no one else. An empty forever_—_something she'd _never_ want to experience.

Martha announced that she was heading off to her room for a nap, but Rose had a feeling the woman knew that she wanted to confront the Doctor about him and his near-suicidal methods of handling situations and she inwardly thanked her for that. They may not be that open with Martha, but she was considerate enough to understand them as her friends and give them time. But now she had to tell him off.

"What if they didn't hold back?" she began quietly.

"Hm?" the Doctor answered, still facing the console.

"What if the Daleks hadn't changed their minds and killed you?" she spoke in a louder, firm voice.

She saw him stiffen, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he kept his head low. "Rose…" he said softly, barely audible in the quietness of the room.

"No, don't _'Rose'_ me, Doctor." Rose stood up from the jump seat. "You could've died today_—__three_ times!"

"Well, that's not out of the ordinary," he said lightly, hinting at a joke. Rose however, wasn't smiling at his attempt to lighten the mood. He was doing what he did best_—_evading the issue and soon he would change the topic. She wasn't kidding around right now.

"Doctor, I'm serious," she told him firmly, crossing her arms.

He sighed. "I'm aware of the dangers I put myself through, but it was part of my plan, that's all," he stressed.

She snorted. "'That's all'," she repeated in a mocking tone. "Sure, there's _nothing_ wrong with that. It's nothing new. That's always the case, innit? You and your brilliant suicidal ideas, finding some new ways to get yourself killed."

"But I _didn't,_ isn't that good enough?" he said, with a hard voice.

"Don't switch this around!" she warned.

"What would've happened if I hadn't thought up of anything, Rose? _Everyone_ would've died! Bad enough too many already had but it could've been _far_ worse."

"I get that, but you could've tired to figure something else out," Rose told him, saying the obvious. "It's one thing to save others from destruction, but to just throw yourself out there willingly to die like _that!?"_

The Doctor turned around to face her. "If I remember correctly, _you_ threw yourself along with me as well."

"To _stop_ you!" She shouted, thrusting her arms out. "If you were about to get yourself killed, then I was gonna stop you from doing it. And if it still was to happen, then I'd die along with you, simple as that. Don't you _dare _turn this around on me."

"It was part of my plan, and it worked," he said with seriousness. "I know you're upset about it, and I'm sorry, I really am. It may not have been rational, but still, it _worked."_

"And what if it didn't?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I'd come up with another plan, just like I usually do."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, because you're _so_ brilliant at it," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I _am,"_ he stressed, waving his hand. "Besides, I knew that they wouldn't fire_—_"

"First of all, don't just brush this off like it's _nothing,"_ Rose cut in._ "_And second, don't lie. You couldn't've known right away. You _didn't._ I saw the look on your face, and it was exactly like mine_—_you were just as shocked by their actions as I was. Maybe _more_."

The Doctor thrust a hand in his hair for a moment as he paced around the console before making a frustrated sound and lowering his hand, turning back to her. "Fine, I _was_ more than surprised by that, alright?" he said irritably. "But that aside, I already _knew_ we'd survive anyway, so I figured why not give my plan a try? It was worth it, wasn't it?" He thrust his arms out wide and gestured around the room. "And where are we now, Rose? Hmm? Do you see where we are? In the TARDIS…_alive."_

"So before all that, you were one hundred percent certain the entire time that the Daleks would hold back from killing you once confronted?" she asked, arching a brow and crossing her arms over her chest as she approached him.

His brows shot up to his hairline as he shook his head quickly. "Does it matter? What difference does it make now_—_"

_Whack_.

Rose responded with a hard slap across his face, making him stumble back a bit into the console and her to wince inside by the sound of the crack at the contact.

He turned back to her with a hand on his cheek and face full of shock. "What the hell was that for!?" he cried indignantly.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose said calmly before raising her voice with her next words. "Maybe because you're a _ridiculous, daft, bloody, alien git!_ Of _course_ it matters!" She stepped closer to him, poking him hard in his chest with her finger. "I don't know if you realize this, but you're _not _invincible, Doctor. You can still die. You're the one who's always saying that I constantly worry you, that I'm gonna make you regenerate on the spot because of the situations I get myself in. Well, what about _me!? _Every time, every _bloody_ time, when you come up with a plan_—_which are always just so _monumentally_ ridiculous to say the least_—_you freak me out. I never know for certain if you're gonna actually survive or not sometimes."

"I always tell you that you can _trust_ me. Why would you think like that?"

"You think I _want_ to? I hate to even _think_ of something like that happening, because I _do_ trust you. I trust you with my _life._ I know that you're strong, but you always forgo my help."

"Rose_—_"

"No, I'm not finished yet," she cut in with a hand raised. "You're always pushing me away, but whenever I come back to help you, what do you do? You yell at me for putting myself in danger!" She laughed bitterly. "How hypocritical. It's all fine and cheery that _you_ can put _yourself_ in danger to save people including myself, but when _I_ do it for you, you snap!"

The Doctor lowered his hand from his face, looking at her warily. "Because I don't wanna see you get hurt! Or worse…see you die! You're strong, Rose_—_believe me, you _are__—_and I appreciate your help, I _always do_, but you're not invincible either. Just because you're now a more advanced human and can take handle much more than average, that doesn't guarantee you're always safe. You can still be in greater danger as much as I can. I'm aware of what my body can withstand, but I can handle things more severe and fatal than you, Rose. I'm looking out for you_—_"

"And I'm doing the same for you!" Rose retorted. "I told you before, Doctor: We're a team, you and me. We're in this _together._ I know you do things out of the goodness of your hearts to protect me_—_and I love and respect you for that, I really _do__—_but it works both ways. I chose this life with you, and I knew very well what I was getting myself into." She lowered her gaze for a moment, closing her eyes, probably fighting back tears_—_tears that _he_ caused. "I didn't wanna break my promise to never leave you, no matter what."

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Instead he closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. Everything she was saying was right. That's just it, Rose always said the right things. Truth be told, he wasn't expecting the Daleks to change their minds at all. For a split second he believed he _may_ actually have been killed and he would've left Rose behind. _Alone_. She'd be left all by herself for centuries with no one by her side, and that's never a pleasant occurrence. He can speak from experience and that kind of life could drive someone mad. No helping hand to hold, no comfort from another_—_only silence and sadness.

A hand came to rest on his cheek, which was still burning from that forceful slap Rose had given him, making him shiver inside. Opening his eyes, he saw her own softening. "You're all I have left, Doctor," she said quietly. "If I lost you…" she trailed off as she sniffed, holding in her tears.

Rassilon, he was thick. So, so _thick_. "Oh, Rose," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her close to gently stroke her hair while his other rested on her lower back rubbing small circles. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't help myself. Every time we come upon them…they're always ruining our lives. Always finding ways to drive us _mad_."

He paused for a moment and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent as it washed over him. He had put her in greater danger when he put himself on the spot causing her to do the same. For _him._ And she didn't care whether she lived or died, as long as she was with him in the end. Maybe he had been selfish to do such a thing like that after promising her that he'd always be there for her. Or maybe…he didn't know for sure, but he was glad she stopped him. If the roles were reversed he'd do the same thing in a heartsbeat, and if she were to actually get _killed_ by a Dalek or anything else for that matter, then he might as well have followed suit because he wouldn't have a purpose anymore.

"You always keep my head on straight," he said softly, still rubbing her back as he felt a few of her tears spill onto his neck where she buried her face. "If it hadn't held back…" he let out a deep breath. "Rose, I would never want to leave you behind as a result of my selfishness. I wasn't in my right mind," he chuckled mirthlessly. "Though I'm not even sure what my right mind really _is_. But one thing I _am_ sure of is that I'm better with you around."

Rose pulled back and wiped her face with her sleeve. "Better with two, yeah?" she tried to give a watery smile.

He nodded, wiping away her tear streaks with his thumbs. "Yeah." Dropping one of his hands, he wrapped his arm around the small of her back while caressing her cheek with the other. "And…just for the record, don't you _ever_ feel guilty about that time in Utah. That was _not_ your fault."

"Doctor_—_"

"Please," he cut in quietly. "Don't ever feel guilty about showing sympathy to that Dalek on that day. That's what you do_—_you care about others. What did you do earlier? You helped a little girl out by giving her something to eat, something fresh. And you made her day a thousand times better because of that heartfelt gesture. You do things out of the goodness of your heart as well, and that's very admiring and courteous of you. What happened back in Utah wasn't your fault, Rose. Daleks are born to hate, it's what they are. But still you studied it and saw a slim of promise in it - it was just overwhelmed by that move and was scared to feel."

"But…I touched it," she told him. "Then it killed all of those people."

"Because that's what they _do,"_ he stressed slowly. "No matter what, it's all they know and live by. The second something else hits them, they cower away. They're afraid of stepping out of the dark and into the light, afraid to burn with other emotions. You scared it for hat very reason - you showed them how to feel, how to care. They were just mislead by that and took it as a threat, but it was all that they needed to become better. I know those deaths could weigh you down_—_trust me, if anyone knows that, it's _me. _But at the end of the day…so many others _lived."_

Rose held his wrist and squeezed it. "You're tryna fix _me_ now, are ya?"

The Doctor smirked. "Well, you're always fixing _me_."

She chuckled, massaging the inner skin of his wrist with her thumb. "Thank you. Sorry about that slap," she said, rubbing the mark.

He shook his head lightly. "I deserved it," he said with a small smile, placing a hand over hers still on his burning cheek. "At least I'll have a reminder about the limits of my…sacrificial tendencies. Something to replace the one your mother gave me," he earned himself a soft giggle before pulling her close for another hug and dropping a light kiss to her temple. "Though I don't fully know what I did to deserve _you," _he added quietly. "How do you do it, Rose?"

"Do what?"

"How can someone as brilliant as you ever want to be stuck with _me? _How do you manage to always fix me?"

She pulled back a fraction and placed a hand on his chest between both hearts. "Cos it's what I'm good at, apparently," she teased, nudging his nose with hers before pressing a soft kiss to the tip.

He mentally kicked himself for continually hurting her like this. Bad habits were one thing but this exceeded the bar. Everything he did was for her to make sure that she would be safe no matter what. At the end of the day, they always _did_ look out for each other, and cared deeply about the other's well being_—_even if they were frustrating the hell out of each other.

"I'm gonna get some rest, too," Rose said. "Can you stay with me?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Taking her hand, they walked to their bedroom in silence. Once they got there, Rose shrugged on her pajamas while the Doctor only toed off his trainers and removed his tie, leaving on his jacket and Oxford. Laying down beside her, she made herself comfortable in his arms as she tried to fall asleep.

It amazed the Doctor how, even though Rose didn't need as much sleep anymore, she still managed to dive straight into a deep slumber within five minutes_—_technically speaking it was really 4.9568 minutes, but still could be rounded up to five. Either way, it was a new record for her. Not that he was keeping track of how long it took her until she was in a deep sleep. Well…not _intentionally._ He needed an activity to do while waiting for her to wake up. Sometimes he would count how many breaths she took, or count how many times her nose twitched, or even…

Okay, he never admitted any of this to Rose in person, but he quite enjoyed watching her sleep, and he thought he really didn't have to tell her since she probably already knew.

Never had she gone off that quickly prior to their relationship and sleeping arrangement, with the exception of him staying with her in her own room whenever she came across a nightmare. Now that she slept in his bed her nightmares thankfully have receded, leaving her content in a peaceful state. As long as she was calmed, then so was he. Watching her like this was always reassuring and serene. From the many times they've shared a bed, as well as the many occasions where she fell asleep in his lap after he read her a story, he felt calmer as he soothed her in his arms.

Just knowing that she was lost in her dreams and not thrashing around frantically trying to fight off whatever was haunting her mind was very pleasing.

Humans waste so much time in their beds all wrapped up in their covers and sleeping away in their little fantasies when there was so much more to see out in the real world - in so many _other_ worlds. He often teased Rose for exceeding the average amount of hours needed for humans that she spent in her burrow of blankets, hence the reason he always had a thrill of waking her up. Still, she was at peace and he marveled at her beauty in her state of slumber.

Their argument still buzzed in his ears, every word beating loudly in his mind in the quietness of the room. How she could continuously stand him seemed to baffle him. But this is Rose, and that was what she always did. She was his shining star in the deep dark gallows of his conscience, always brightening him up.

Minutes passed by as he lay beside her on the bed, soon turning into an hour. For once in a very long while the Doctor began to feel a bit drowsy. Not to the point where he would need an extreme amount of rest, but he could do with about forty minutes or so. That's a sufficient amount. With Rose's hand in his, he brushed the backs of her knuckles softly before placing it gently on the bed as he turned over onto his back.

Folding his hands on his stomach he shut his eyes, letting his mind drift off.

_Darkness, nothing but darkness. Always the darkness. He was used to it by now. It's something he's grown accustomed to after all this time. Strangely comforting in its cold and welcoming embrace. Everlasting as it stretched on and on with no end in sight, like being draped with a large cloth as it wrapped around you tight, concealing your vision behind a blindfold. Though it wouldn't matter if you were to take it off anyway. Look around to the west, the east, the sky, the ground__—__it's everywhere, everything._

_No words, no sound. Only silence. __Opening your eyes wasn't an issue when you can't see anything. Perking your ears up wasn't necessary when there was nothing to hear or listen to. Smelling wasn't a must when the air was clear and bland. Reaching out a hand was pointless when there's nothing to grab onto except the open air in front of you. Speaking was useless when you've got no one to talk to._

_Only silence._

_A small blue beam of light illuminated the area, shining bright in the far distance, growing by the second as it slowly approached. Standing in a spot, he squinted as he adjusted to this new sudden disturbance as its glow seemed to brighten the closer it came. He could feel the chill almost instantly before it even was with reach. __He felt a burst of heat burn against his neck. Turning around he was met with another blinding ray of light__—__not blue, but gold. Like the Sun, which hasn't been seen here in oh, so long. But this was different, it was…comforting in a different sense. Good different._

_The golden silhouette moved swiftly, floating high in the air as it hovered over his head like an angel. His eyes burned from its powerful beam as he raised his arm to shield his vision for a moment. A light warm breeze blew against his hair, whispering indistinct words like a melody in his ears. Lowering his arm he saw the figure slowly descend from its place, coming to plant down on the ground in front of him as its glow dimmed._

_Blinking rapidly he recognized the figure and gasped. Stunned by its beauty he opened his mouth to speak, trying to find his voice, but the figure ceased him by placing a gentle finger to his lips, hushing him. Confused he shook his head, trying to understand. The figure removed its finger and spoke, "Doctor."_

_That voice__—__that beautiful voice. His insides began to shake at the realization of this figure. Of course, who else would come to lead him out of the darkness? Only one could ever succeed in that. He found his voice as it came out of shock, but yet not too much of a surprise._

_"Rose?"_

_The light dimmed down more, revealing the face of an angelic woman, her features standing out prominently. Rose smiled widely causing him to do the same. Before he could say another word, a loud screeching voice boomed over the quiet, calm silence._

**_"EXTERMINATE!"_**

_He whipped around to see the blue light standing behind him, its body unseen, hidden in the dark. But he knew all too well what it was. Just as he made a move to evade its attack, Rose placed a hand on his shoulders stopping him. Trying to move proved to be impossible as his feet were somehow plowed into the ground, glued to the surface and immovable. He tried to move his arms only to realize he was restrained._

_"What are you doing!?" he demanded._

_"Saving my Doctor," she answered. Though her glow dimmed, it remained in her eyes and he could easily make out the trail of tears streaking down her face._

_"No, don't!"_

_She walked past him until she stood in front of the Dalek, holding her arms out openly as an invitation._

_"Rose, no!" He pleaded, not even trying to fight his own tears as they burned his cheeks. "Please, don't do this! Get out of the way!"_

_Rose turned around and smiled sadly at him. "I want you safe. I won't let you die alone."_

_"I won't let you die at all! Please, just let me save you, please!"_

_Without another word she turned around and was shot by the Dalek's ray gun. His screams ripped through the air, drowning out the sound of contact as she fell to the ground by his feet. Fighting against his restraints, he tried desperately to hold her in his arms. Maybe he could still try to save her. Maybe it wasn't too late._

_The Dalek moved its eyestalk up to him. __**"YOU WILL NOT BE EXTERMINATED."**_

_"WHAT!?" The Dalek rolled away. "No! You've always wanted me, then kill me! Just do it!" His pleadings were useless as the Dalek was gone._

_Suddenly Rose stood to her feet, appearing unharmed. He gasped in shock. "Rose! You're alive!"_

_She shook her head. "Like some Dalek would get rid of me. I'm not going anywhere."_

_He laughed breathlessly as she snapped her fingers, causing the darkness to lift, bringing in the light. Raising his head to the sky his smile dropped along with his hearts. The sky wasn't blue__—__it was burnt orange. Looking around he saw trees capped with snow, twin suns, red grass._

_He saw his home. He saw Gallifrey, in all of its splendor._

_And then he saw it turn into Hell._

_His cries were useless as everything around him burned and turned to ashes. The sky that was once orange turned crimson. Looking behind him he saw the Citadel crack, the glass dome containing it exploding into shards falling around him. Then the cries. The bloodcurdling cries of men, women, and children. The sound of waves crashing beneath his feet urged him to look down, rivers of blood staining his shoes._

_His people. Gone._

_Panting in fear his eyes locked onto Rose's just before she moved closer to him. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled sadly. "Burn with me."_

_"No. No, no, no."_

_Another explosion erupted above him. A Dalek command ship. The Skaro Degregation, the Nightmare Child__—__he saw everything around him fall apart while he just stood stuck into the ground, powerless. A chorus of whispers filled the air._

_"Killer of his Own Kind."_

_"Gallifrey falls!"_

_"My head…is killing me."_

_Wait a second. No. __He lowered his head to gaze into his savior's eyes__—__only to see her burst in a ball of flames._

_"Wait, no! No, no, no, no!"_

_"Burn with me," she repeated quietly._

_"NOOO!" His savior was perishing and all he could do was watch in horror. __One moment later her body blew up in front of him, bathing him in her blood. __"ROSE!"_

In a jolt the Doctor shot his eyes open and sucked in a breath before letting it out in a quiet gasp. Sitting upright, he tried to calm his hearts down from their rapid beating before his respiratory bypass could kick in. Rubbing his eyes with his fingers he tried as hard as he could to rid the unpleasant scene from his mind. Rivulets of sweat ran down his brow and he wiped them away with his arm before brushing his fringe back with his hand.

Rassilon, those bloody Daleks. Every time he encountered them, something would creep into his mind.

Still panting he turned his head to look over at Rose over his shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully he hadn't disrupted her slumber from his sudden jerk, as well as seeing her safe and unharmed. Bending down slowly he brought a hand up and brushed her hair back before pressing a light kiss to her forehead. Pulling back he saw a small smile spread on her lips as she remained asleep. At least she was the one in the middle of a pleasant dream safe and sound.

Carefully as not to wake up Rose, the Doctor rolled off of the bed and made his way to the door, not even bothering to retrieve his trainers and tie. He took one last look at Rose in her peaceful state and smiled softly before quietly exiting. He would come back but a rest was something he couldn't do right now.

Upon entering the corridor he unbuttoned his jacket and his Oxford while the TARDIS gently nudged his mind. Usually She helps with the nightmares, but once in a while one could slip in through the cracks and permeate his conscience. Of course, so much build up can break the dam and let it flow, making them seem so real it's almost as if he was actually burning or drowning. After all this time he'd think he'd be used to it by now_—_and he _was__—_but the weight was heavy and weighing him down.

Even the TARDIS knew too much was lodged inside him waiting to release itself, but too much damage was locked in that it was fearful for sure, and if he were to share all of that with Rose, every little detail_—_well, he wouldn't be surprised if she'd back away. Something in him was telling him to not go into something so personal and revealing, but that itching feeling in the back of his mind kept telling him otherwise.

Whatever he'll do, he'll just wait. It's all he could do at the moment. But apparently the itch along with the TARDIS were pushing him to do it soon, and it scared him. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he inhaled a shaky breath before heading to the console room to tinker a bit. He would join Rose again later_—_hopefully by then his mind will have stopped tormenting him with memories.

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**Ohhh, anxiety, _my_ old friend. **


	21. The Lazarus Experiment Part 1

**A/N: LAZARUS! ****Many thanks to all who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all awesome, and I love your feedback! ;)**

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_**Chapter 21: The Lazarus Experiment Part 1**_

Rose took in a deep breath as she woke up and stretched her legs out. Her eyes were still closed but she could easily feel the bed empty on the side. Peeking through one eye she was met with just that. The Doctor must have left to tinker with something. But knowing him, he probably was overthinking everything from yesterday with the Daleks. It was a bad habit of his, it was what he did.

The argument they had still played over in her head along with the events of yesterday that caused it. She hoped he was all right, because when he dwells on something it's for a very long time, and she had a feeling that everything she told him was piercing through him. Was it too much? All of her yelling and slapping him dead in the face? Maybe, but she needed to let out her frustration at his antics before they tore her apart.

Rising to a seated position, Rose lifted her arms and also gave them a nice stretch before rubbing her eyes. Getting out of bed she walked over to the wardrobe and picked out her clothes_—_a red t-shirt and jeans, nothing fancy. She noticed the Doctor's plimsolls and tie were missing from where he set them by the nightstand before he laid beside her last night.

Looking up to the ceiling, she asked the TARDIS, "Where's the Doctor, Old Girl?" The ship responded with a soft hum and showed her an image of him sitting on the jump seat with his feet propped up on the console tinkering with some kind of mechanical thing-a-ma-bob.

Smiling up at Her, she said her thanks as she changed. It was amazing how she could communicate with the TARDIS the way she could. Usually She would only respond with hums, but lately She's been using images and visuals with an occasional melodic humming that almost sounded like a song. More than once Rose could've sworn that she heard soft whispers in her head as well when she slept, but they were forgotten when she woke. Something new and much more effective, Rose loved this wonderful ship and Her quirks.

Once she finished she headed out to the console room and bumped into Martha in the corridor. "Mornin'," she greeted.

"Is it really morning?" Martha asked with a chuckle. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Yeah, you can lose track of time in her, but don't tell the Doctor that. He won't believe you."

"Thanks for the tip." They both began to walk together. "So…how are you?" Martha asked.

Rose turned to her confused. "'M fine."

"Good. Cos you were pretty upset yesterday, and I wanted to give you two some time to talk it out."

"Thanks for being considerate," Rose said with a smile. "We had…a bit of a row, but made up."

Martha nodded her head. "Good. I'd never imagine you two in a fight. You're just so…happy all the time."

Rose shrugged. "We have one every once in a while, but we usually always come to a truce in the end."

"Well, that's normal, beings as you two are impossibly…different," Martha said with a smile.

"That's us," Rose chuckled. As they turned a corner and made it to the console room.

The Doctor felt their presence and stood from the jump seat, discarding the mechanical part he'd been working on off to the side carelessly. "Ah, there you two are! Ready?"

"You know it," Rose smiled, standing beside him at the console.

"Always!" Martha exclaimed. "Wait, what are we ready for?"

"Hold on tight!" He grinned widely as he pressed random controls before pulling the lever, sending them in-flight. Another moment later the TARDIS landed with a slight jolt. "There we go, perfect landing," the Doctor said. "Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

"You should be used to tight spots by now," Martha replied jokingly before running down the ramp to the door. "Where are we?"

"The end of the line. No place like it," the Doctor told her.

Rose looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are we…you know…?"

He nodded once with a sad smile as they followed Martha outside from the TARDIS. Stepping out Rose looked around at where they had landed. It was a very small flat that was somewhat messy with stuff on the bed and floor.

"Home," Martha realized before saying flatly, "You took me home?"

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours," the Doctor clarified as he stood beside Rose with an arm around her shoulders, looking over at the family pictures framed on a dresser. "No time at all, really."

"Are you sure, Doctor?" Rose asked.

He turned back to her. "Doubting me again?"

She snorted and coughed behind her hand. "Twelve months."

"One time!" he cried. "That only happened _once_." He groaned. "Are you ever gonna let that go?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Nope. Never."

He sighed and rubbed his cheek. "So not only will I have to live with the painful reminder given to me by your mother because of that, but you'll always bring it up whenever given the opportunity, right?"

"Someone's gotta pull your leg. It's still kinda funny though, innit?"

"Sure, for _you_. You weren't the one who was accused of kidnapping and got slapped."

Martha flitted her eyes between them. She was about to ask what all of that was about but instead asked, "But everything we've done…Shakespeare, New New York…_old_ New York…"

"Yep. All in twelve hours." The Doctor released Rose and began to walk around her room. "I promise," he assured. Rose snorted behind him as he turned to shoot her a look. "All happened in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was_—_books, CDs…" he stopped at the drying rack and nodded at the items hanging before picking up a pair of knickers with an arched brow, "Laundry…"

Martha shyly moved forward to retrieve them from his hand as well as the other the items, more specifically, those that were…intimate. The Doctor moved back over to stand by Rose, who elbowed him in the side. "Rude," she whispered.

Leaning against the door, he spoke aloud. "So, back where you were, as promised."

"This is it?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," he said, letting out a deep breath. "We should probably, ehm…"

He was cut off when the phone began to ring and a message came on the answering machine from a woman. _**"Martha, are you there?" **_came a woman's voice. _**"Pick it up, will you?"**_

"I'm sorry," Martha said. "It's Mum. It'll wait."

_**"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like,"**_ both the Doctor and Rose chuckled at Martha's mum as she continued. _**"I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."**_

Martha creased her brows as she grabbed the remote and turned her TV on. Sure enough her sister was there standing behind an elderly man talking to the media in a press conference. "**_The details are top __secret__—__"_**he was saying.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha said as the others came closer to watch with her.

_**"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device…"**_

"She's got a new job," she told them. "PR for some research lab."

_**"…with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human,"**_ the man continued.

Martha shrugged and shut the TV off, turning back to the others who stared at the blank screen.

"Sorry. You were saying you should…?"

The Doctor shook his head, bringing himself as well as Rose out of their trance. "Yes…" he looked up at her and leaned against the TARDIS. "Yes, we should. One trip is what we said."

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of…escalated."

Rose hummed. "That seems to happen to us a lot," she said, nudging the Doctor.

"Thank you. Both of you," Martha said sincerely. "For everything."

They both grinned while the Doctor said, "It was our pleasure," before opening the TARDIS door and stepping inside.

Rose, however, stayed outside for a moment. "Count to ten," she told Martha.

She looked confused. "What?"

"Just do it," Rose said with a wink before following him inside. Closing the door behind her, she stood on the ramp as he put the TARDIS in-flight. She began to count in her mind.

_One, two, three, four, five, six__—_

"Wait a minute!" the Doctor whipped his head up from the monitor and brought them back in Martha's flat.

Rose sighed aloud. "Oh, damn. I only made it to six seconds until you'd realize. You're improving, though."

He arched a brow at her. "I see. You're timing me with everything I do now."

"How's it feel?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her as they landed. Sticking his head out of the door, he saw Martha still in the same spot as they left her. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be _human?" _Martha giggled at him, making him confused. "What?"

"I was told to wait ten seconds."

"What?" He repeated as he turned to see Rose behind him leaning her chin on his shoulder smiling at Martha.

"Even better, you only had to wait for six."

The Doctor huffed at them, as she shot him a teasing grin.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

After Martha had called her sister Tish, she managed to get an invitation to go to the party. The bloke who claimed was about to change the meaning of what it is to be human was named Richard Lazarus, some rich scientist that was presenting his work in his labs. Both the Doctor and Rose agreed to tag along and investigate what this supposedly remarkable revelation was all about. Heading back into the TARDIS they each went to get ready. While the Doctor occupied their room to change, Rose led Martha into the even larger wardrobe down another corridor.

Standing in the closet the girls looked over the dresses available for them. Martha picked out a simple black v-neck gown and started to change into it. Rose, on the other hand, couldn't decide on one. There were so many options to choose from, so many beautiful gowns and dresses that made it hard. She wasn't typically the type to go all out and dress up too formal when going on adventures, but whenever she and the Doctor had to crash a party, then she'd look the part well.

"Find one?" Martha asked from behind.

"I dunno what I should wear, I'm torn between these two." Rose pulled down two dresses_—_one that was black and simple with spaghetti straps, and another that was a deep crimson satin material with small ruffles.

Martha eyed both of them. "Both of them look really nice, so either would do. What do you think the Doctor would prefer?"

Rose snorted. "Oh, who knows with him. He probably wouldn't care which of these I'd wear as long as it looks decent."

"Well, by the way he looks at you I'd say that's a given," Martha said with a laugh. "It still baffles me that you two aren't married."

"Blimey, everyone's always saying that," Rose chuckled, holding up one of the dresses up to her body in front of a mirror.

"'Cause you two just _seem_ like it. The way you act, the way you look at each other…the way you kiss," she added slyly.

Rose blushed a little. "That about sums us up_—_the couple that seems to be so much more."

Martha studied her for a moment and hesitated. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

"'S alright, what is it?"

"I know it's personal…but just seeing the way you two act with each other, it's made me a little curious."

Rose arched a brow at her. Where was this headed? She had a vague idea of what she was implying and let her finish. "Go 'head. I don't mind."

"Have you two ever…you know…" she trailed off and laughed embarrassingly. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm bringing this up, I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"No, no, it's fine," Rose said honestly. "You're not the first one who thought about that, I'm sure. But…going along with what you were gonna ask…no." Martha's brows shot up in disbelief and Rose shrugged. "Not yet, at least."

"Oh. I'm really sorry, I just assumed. I didn't mean to mention it_—_"

Rose held up her hand. "Martha, it's fine, really. We're just…I dunno, waiting until we're both ready."

"Well, I know I have no say in your private life, but if you ask me, you two are more than ready," Martha told her.

Rose's cheeks burned as she turned her head back to the dress rack. After two years together of intense feelings being built up and held in probably would_—_no, not probably, it really _did_ guarantee that they both were ready to take their relationship up to the next level of intimacy. What was holding them back now?

"I think you should wear something to make him drool all over you," Martha said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"As much as I'd love to do that, I honestly can't decide which one would_—_"

A slight zapping sound interrupted her. Looking at the mirror Rose noticed behind her on the door hook hung a dress that suddenly appeared. Turning around she placed her two choices back on the rack and stepped up to the mysterious piece of clothing. It was…beautiful. Not even that, it just seemed _perfect_ for her. Raising her eyes to the ceiling she felt a warm hum in her mind. Of course, the TARDIS must have specifically picked this up for her.

Walking back out into the bedroom Rose showed the dress to Martha, who was working on her hair and makeup in the vanity. She noticed her and gasped. "Where did that come from?"

"The TARDIS picked it out for me," she answered with a smile.

Martha laughed. "Well, She's got good taste. That's definitely gonna get his attention."

"That's probably why She picked it out. She loves teasing him."

"Looks like _you're_ gonna be the one teasing him tonight, Rose."

As both girls were helping each other out with makeup and hair, each was satisfied with the other's appearance when they finally finished. "Martha, you look so beautiful," Rose complimented her friend.

"Thanks, but nothing compares to you," she gestured at Rose's dress. "You're gonna make his jaw drop when he sees you."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor stood in the console room fiddling with his bow tie as he waited patiently for the girls to finish getting ready. Okay, maybe not _patiently_ since he's been ready for almost twenty minutes now. Of course all he did was change into his black tuxedo with matching black plimsolls_—_because of all of the running_—_and his black bow tie. He was hesitant to wear it since nothing seems to go well when he does, but for once he would like to have something good come out of this outfit.

But then again, women_—_especially _human_ women_—_always seemed to take their time in freshening up. He often teased Rose because of that. It once took her thirteen minutes to change into another jumper laid out for her. Still, he wasn't going to yell for the girls to hurry up with whatever it was they were doing but he was very antsy right now, so he hoped they were almost done. All he kept thinking about what exactly this 'miracle' that this Lazarus bloke was going to demonstrate. One just can't _change _what it means to be human, so what was it?

He heard a clacking of heels against the grating as one of the women was entering the console room. "All set." It was Martha.

Turning around he smiled at her. She was wearing a simple yet pretty sequin black gown that flowed to her feet and her hair done in braids. "You look very nice, Martha," he told her sincerely as he tied his bow tie.

She smiled. "Thanks. You're not that bad either."

He chuckled. "Rose finished?"

Before she could even answer him the woman in question entered the room and his breath was ultimately taken away from him by her presence as he froze in his spot, forgetting about his tie.

Rose came in wearing a brightening smile and an equally dazzling sequin one shoulder dress with an asymmetrical neckline and three shoulder straps wrapped around the glimmering material of her bodice going behind her in splits, hugging her curves just right as the hem ended above her knees. Her hair was whipped up with a clip and brought down in a low side bun, her blonde waves contrasting with the royal blue shade of the dress's fabric and the faint shadow on her eyes that almost matched the TARDIS, making her all the more alluring.

As she stepped closer to him at the console he noticed the low heeled shoes on her feet, no doubt they were also perfect for running, elevating her by about half of an inch. Stopping in front of him, she slowly twirled in a circle to show him the full picture and his breath hitched. The three straps wrapped around her almost like a web and crossed into a small knot to the side, revealing much of the smooth, creamy skin of her back, with which he wanted to graze his fingers over the open expanse gently, if not greedily. Audibly gulping he couldn't help but admire her elegance as he raked his eyes over her figure with much appeal.

Only when she raised a hand to his face did he realize his mouth was hung agape and that he hadn't blinked, all a result of her divine beauty. She placed a hand under his chin and closed it for him since his mind had decided to shut down completely and forego any and all instinctive actions. Gripping the edge of the console with both hands behind him, he didn't trust himself to fall head over heels from her exquisite chic of both classy and sexy. It was almost criminal.

"Blimey," he breathed out huskily after swallowing hard.

Her eyes twinkled. "So…does this look okay?" she asked in a quiet voice that he swore sounded close to being a purr. _Rassilon, he's hanging by a thread._

Blinking rapidly he cleared his throat and tugged at his collar, trying to find his breath as well as his self control. Never has Rose been so tempting and gorgeous. Granted, he thought she was beautiful no matter what she wore or how she looked, but she was breathtaking right now in this dress, all dolled up like a goddess.

"Rose…you look so beautiful," he said quietly. "Absolutely stunning."

Rose lowered her head for a moment as she blushed before lifting it back up to meet his eyes. Her hands came up to his chest as she fixed his neglected bow tie. "You're rather dashing yourself," she said softly. "Very dapper if not a little careless for not tying this."

He swallowed again as his hands moved on their own accord to rest on her hips before making their way around to her lower back, his cool fingers dancing tenderly across her skin causing both of them to shiver. "Well…remember when I said you can be a bit distracting?" he said with a low voice.

She tilted her head and smiled innocently as she toyed with his bow tie, batting her eyelashes. "I could change…if you want…"

A low growl escaped from his chest. "Don't you dare," he ground out, causing her to giggle before pulling her closer for a slow and savory kiss.

The sound of a throat being cleared immediately broke them apart. "I know you two fancy each other like a couple of lovesick teenagers, but we've got somewhere to be," Martha told them.

Rose licked her lips as she pulled back so he could straighten himself up, wiping the faint pink lip gloss that smeared on his lips. "Oops. Sorry I _distracted_ you," she said with her signature grin.

He arched an eyebrow at her, fighting the urge to take her back in his arms. _Yep, she was all he was going to pay attention to tonight._ Instead he turned his attention back to Martha and clapped his hands together. "Right. Okay, ladies, time to crash this party."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Leaving the TARDIS the three took off in a taxi for better convenience. Rose noticed in the corner of her eye that the Doctor kept stealing glances at her dress and she inwardly blushed once more. Ever since their relationship she's never felt so daring to wear such a thing. No doubt he was going to be more protective and possessive of her than he already was around the other people tonight, and she was perfectly fine with it. It proved how much she meant to him, and she loved it even more for that.

The TARDIS must've had a plan of some sorts for the both of them for choosing a dress like this. Cheeky ship. Always teasing and messing with them_—_mainly _him._

They dropped off about a block away from the location and started to walk. The Doctor grumbled as he fussed with his cuffs. "Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It's not the outfit, that's just you," Martha said, causing Rose to snort. "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

His brows furrowed as he pulled a face. "James Bond?" he asked in derision before considering the compliment and turning to Rose. "Really?" She shrugged and he grinned mischievously, leaning closer to her. "So does that make you my Bond girl, then?"

"If that's your way of calling me a seductress_—_"

"No, no, that wasn't it. Weeeell…"

She smacked his arm playfully. "If anything I'd probably be more like Miss Moneypenny_—_" he opened his mouth to speak, but she raised a hand to stop him. "_—_but I don't wanna be called that either, so drop that idea, please." He frowned and Martha couldn't resist snickering at his expression.

They made it to the doors of the building called Lazarus Laboratories and the Doctor flashed his psychic paper, allowing them to enter easily as they were marked as Martha's plus two. The reception was large as a crowd of people mingled with each other, probably all posh conversations. A tall circular chamber stood in the center of the room along with four posts bedside it.

Of course not long after they entered the Doctor spotted a caterer with a tray of food. "Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles."

Rose rolled her eyes as he picked a bunch of them and shoved them in his mouth. Turning to catch up to Martha he offered Rose some of the goodies held in his palm.

"No thanks. You keep them to yourself." He grinned and threw another in his mouth, resembling a chipmunk by the way his cheeks puffed out. "Wonderful manners," she mumbled.

He arched an eyebrow and spoke with his mouth full, muffling his words. "Uv got menners, Wose. Wut do you take me fo?"

"Very professional," she sighed with a small smile, earning a wink from him.

Catching up with Martha they saw her hug the woman who appeared to be her sister, Tish. "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

Martha nodded. "Very."

"And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life," Tish joked.

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns," Martha added.

"You might, actually," she gestured around the room. "You should keep an eye out for photographers, and Mum. She's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie?" she said in shock. "That I must see." She noticed her sister glancing over to the side. Turning around, she saw the Doctor with Rose behind him watching them with bemused smiles. "Oh, this is, uh, the Doctor."

"Hello," he greeted happily, switching the hors d'oeuvres to his opposite hand as he shook her sister's hand politely with the other.

"Is he with you?" Tish asked.

"Um…sort of," she moved over. "And so is Rose."

"Nice to meet you," Rose greeted.

"But they're not on the list," Tish said. "How did they get in?"

Martha gestured at them. "They're my plus two," she answered nervously.

The Doctor cleared his throat before changing the topic. "So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?" he asked Tish.

"Professor Lazarus, yes," she corrected, "I'm part of his executive staff."

Martha turned to the Doctor and Rose. "She's in the PR department," she told them with an eye roll.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish said with a smile.

"You're joking!" Martha exclaimed.

Tish shook her head. "I put this whole thing together."

"So, uh, do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor asked, nodding at the large chamber. "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

Tish chuckled. "He's a science geek. I should have known." Rose snorted behind them at that. How true. Martha's sister turned her head for a moment before bringing it back. "Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later. With that she walked away.

The Doctor arched an eyebrow and asked quietly. "'Science geek'? What does that mean?"

Rose giggled while Martha answered with a smile. "That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it."

"Oh," he said with a frown, then considered it and grinned widely. "Nice."

"You're more than just a _science_ geek," Rose added with a laugh. "You obsess over lots of things."

He lifted his chin up proudly and sniffed just as a woman called for Martha.

"Mum!" she threw her arms around her the moment she saw her.

"Oh! Alright," her mother returned the hug, happily surprised by the sudden gesture. "What's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?" Martha asked. "I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

"You saw me last night."

The last few days have been a whirlwind and she completely forgot that she was only gone for twelve hours. That had to be a common mistake. Trying to cover up her overreaction to seeing her mum, Martha smiled and came up with a lame excuse.

"I know. I just…miss you." She turned to her brother. "You're looking good, Leo."

Leo snorted. "Yeah, if anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for 'em."

"You disappeared last night," her mum reminded her.

"I…just went home," she said.

"On your own?" her mum asked, glancing behind her with a raised eyebrow.

Martha knew exactly who she was staring at as she turned and pulled them forward, introducing them. "These are friends of mine, the Doctor and Rose."

The Doctor shook Leo's hand while Rose waved. "Doctor what?" Martha's mother asked suspiciously.

"No, it's just the Doctor," Martha said. "We've been doing some work together."

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jones," the Doctor said, shaking her hand, while Rose greeted Leo. "Heard a lot about you."

"Francine," she clarified. "Have you? What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother, and…um…" he stammered over his words. Honestly he didn't know anything else about this woman. "No, actually, that's…that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy."

"Busy?" Francine asked. "Doing what, exactly?"

Just as the Doctor was about to stutter again in response, Rose spoke up and saved him. "Helping people, Mrs. Jones. Lots of people's lives are always at stake, and we save them."

That answer seemed to do enough justice as the Doctor winked at her while Martha leaned over to whisper, "Thanks for that."

Before the awkwardness of the conversation could resume, Lazarus entered the room to stand behind a podium placed in front of the large chamber while a few technicians stood to the side as the elderly man addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon." A group of photographers moved closer to the front, waiting to do their job. "Tonight, you will watch and wonder," the man continued. "Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

Rose felt a twitch inside and tapped the Doctor's arm. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, then nodded once. Drossing his arms over his chest he turned his attention back to the machine to observe this so-called miracle.

Lazarus popped open the door to the chamber and stepped inside while the technicians moved to work on the controls on the side. A whirring sound filled the room as the four pillars surrounding the machine began to spin. Each revolution was faster in pace as an energy field was created around it. Judging by another twitch in her body, Rose could tell something was wrong.

As if on cue an alarm blared out from the controls. "Something's wrong," the Doctor said. "It's overloading." In a flash he leaped over a table and dashed over to the controls. Sparks began to fly from the panel, smoke trickling out. He grabbed his sonic and ran it over the panel trying to stabilize the machine.

"Somebody stop him! Get him away from those controls!" A woman screamed over the commotion.

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it!" he shouted back. "Is that what you want?" He let out a frustrated noise as he discarded the control panel and ran over to the plugs connected to the chamber, pulling it out.

The pillars slowed to a stop as Rose and Martha immediately went up to the door. The Doctor made his way over to join them, "Get it open!"

With a firm grip Rose managed to pry the door open, backing up as clouds of smoke poured out from the chamber. The Doctor pulled her back gently as a figure exited the machine. But it didn't look like Lazarus_—_at least the _old_ Lazarus.

Stepping through the smoke was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, shaking lightly after the effects of the device. Everyone in the room gasped in shock while the photographers moved even closer. The man looked down at his hands before placing them on his face, feeling his skin.

Smiling wide and spreading his arms out proudly, he addressed the stunned crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy-six years old and I am reborn!"

The room erupted in applause of astonishment as the photographers took their pictures. The guests began chatting to each other while the Rose and Martha stood with widened eyes as the Doctor studied one of the pillars.

"That's just not right," Rose said, eyeing the man as he stepped down to chat with the media people.

"It can't be the same guy," Martha said, also staring at him. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick," the Doctor said, from behind them as he studied the pillar. "I wish it were."

"Then what just happened?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked over at Lazarus and inhaled deeply. "He just changed what it means to be human."


	22. The Lazarus Experiment Part 2

**A/N: ****I was gonna wait until tomorrow to post this, but as I was looking over it again I couldn't resist putting it up now. ****Thanks to all the lovely people who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You're great motivation for me :)**

* * *

_**Chapter 22: The Lazarus Experiment Part 2**_

"How's that even possible?" Martha asked. "How can one change what it means to be human?"

"You _can't,_ that's what's wrong with this whole thing," Rose said, staring at Lazarus in the distance as he chatted with some of the guests and reporters.

"Wait a minute, what about you, Rose?"

"What?"

"Well, I mean, _you're_ not really human…anymore," Martha pointed out. "D'you think he's the same as you?"

"Rose's circumstance is entirely different," the Doctor cut in, still examining the pillar. "Technically speaking, her situation came as an accident, and out of something totally different and unique when compared to this. No," he stood up and stepped away from the chamber. "This was no accident. Impossible, yes, but it was all intentional."

"Then let's question the man of the hour," Rose said, looping her arm around the Doctor's as they, along with Martha, strolled over to Lazarus. The closer they came, the more she felt twitchy.

The man was talking to an elderly woman when he noticed before a caterer passing by with tray of hors d'oeuvres. He picked it from their hands and popped a bunch into his mouth quickly. "I'm _famished_," he said, mouth full of food.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor informed him as they approached him cautiously. "Always happens with this kind of process."

The man turned to him, eyeing him suspiciously. "You speak as if you see this every day, Mr.…?"

"Doctor," he corrected. "And, well, no, not _every_ day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

Lazarus smiled smugly. "That's not possible."

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," the Doctor said with ease, making Rose smile at him. "That's-that's inspired."

"You understand the theory, then," Lazarus said seeming impressed.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk," Lazarus told them evasively.

Rose scoffed at that. "That thing nearly _exploded, _and you nearly took whole place down with you. You may as well have stepped into a blender."

_"You're_ not qualified to comment," the elderly lady beside him said with distaste.

"Oh, and I guess that makes _you_ an expert on all this? What's your analysis, then?" Rose shot back.

The Doctor squeezed her hand with his opposite on the arm not looped around hers, trying to keep her steady. "If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded," he assured them.

"Then I thank you, Doctor," Lazarus said. "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was _exactly_ what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha said.

The man laughed and gestured at himself. "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," the lady said confidently.

"You are joking," Martha shook her head. "That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos_—__change_," Lazarus clarified. "A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about _improving_," the Doctor gritted out. "It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor, a _lot_ longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard, we have things to discuss," the lady cut in, glancing at the the three of them with distaste. "Upstairs." She took one more look at them and sauntered off with her nose up in the air. Rose inwardly rolled her eyes. These posh, snobby types were so irritating.

"Goodbye, Doctor," Lazarus said as followed the woman before turning after a few steps back at them. "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were."

He held a hand out for Rose like a gentleman, but she kept her arm looped around the Doctor's and refused his offer. The man simply smirked as he moved over and took Martha's hand, placing a kiss to the back of it. With that confident smile still spread on his face, he turned on his heel and walked away.

"God, these people," Rose commented, shivering slightly at the chill the man gave off. "No personality except for ego and vanity."

"Oh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor said. "No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So now what do we do? Is there a way to run tests on him or something?"

"Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

Martha grinned at them and held up the hand Lazarus kissed. "Then it's lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

A slow grin spread on their faces. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star," the Doctor told her.

"Glad you went along with that, 'cause there was no way I'd let that freak touch me," Rose snorted.

The Doctor scoffed at her. "He won't get anywhere near you with me standing next to you."

She grinned cheekily. "Possessive, Doctor?"

"Oh, yes."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The gang made their way into one of the laboratories to figure out this Lazarus situation. With the help of his DNA sample he planted on Martha's hand the tests could easily be made. Martha sat down in a chair in front of a computer while the Doctor and Rose stood on either side of her, leaning over to peer at the diagrams.

Whipping out his glasses, the Doctor studied the results and muttered, "Amazing."

"What?" Martha asked.

He nodded to the screen. "Lazarus' DNA."

Martha looked closely at the scans but was unsure of what he was talking about. "I can't see anything different."

"Look at it," he insisted excitedly.

Eyeing the screen intently they watched as one of the DNA strands suddenly twitched and altered its form. "Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have," Martha said in disbelief.

"But it did," Rose commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

The other woman shook her head. "It's impossible."

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight," the Doctor said before looking over at Rose with a wide grin. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

She smiled back at him as Martha declared, "That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands," he explained.

"In simpler terms, science geek," Rose said lightly.

He glanced back up at her and smirked before rephrasing the complicated terms. "Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"Yeah, but look again," Rose pointed to the screen just as another strand twitched.

"They're still mutating," Martha realized.

The Doctor leaned closer to study the mutation. "Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize_—_something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?"

He shook his head and let out a deep breath. "I dunno, but I think we need to find out."

"That posh woman he was with said they were going upstairs," Rose reminded.

"That she did," he grabbed Rose's hand. "Let's go."

"What happened to allons-y?" She asked with a smile.

He nodded as they headed out. "Fair enough. Allons-y!"

Boarding the lift, they waited until they made it to their destination. Martha turned to Rose and asked, "What makes you different from normal humans exactly?"

"I'm more advanced…in a way," she answered, shrugging a shoulder.

"Well, that explains it," Martha said with a chuckle.

"It's…complicating. I basically looked into the Heart of the TARDIS and took in the Time Vortex."

"And it altered her DNA," the Doctor added. "Making hers somewhat similar to mine, but…not fully. She's still human, just genetically advanced and more evolved."

Martha blinked and nodded. "Okay…and that was accidental?"

"Yeah, I was tryna get back to this one over here," she patted the Doctor's arm. "And it just sorta…happened."

He smiled down at her. "Can't get rid of you," he joked. "But I was a different man back then."

Rose smiled at him and nudged his shoulder. "Don't I know it."

Instead of getting a straight answer to her question Martha was only left with more, but she accepted their reply. Finally the lift made it to the top, and the three exited as they walked down the hall. One specific room stood out more from the others, which clearly gave away its occupant.

Slowly entering the dark room the Doctor flipped a switch on the side turning the lights on. "This is his office, all right," Martha said.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor asked, looking around before stepping in.

A cold chill shot down Rose's spine, and as she moved around in the room she came across the cause of it. "Doctor…"

She felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach at the sight before her. From behind a desk lay the remains of a woman, her appearance was skeletal with a sunken in face and a pair of high heel shoes on were still worn on her feet. Kneeling down beside it she felt a wave of nausea come over her. The woman was drained to a husk.

Both the Doctor and Martha came over to her. "Is that the woman?" she asked, horrified.

"It was," Rose said quietly the Doctor knelt beside her to examine the body.

"Just a shell now," he said. "Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Lazarus," Rose and Martha said in unison.

"Could be."

"So he's changed already," Martha said.

"Not necessarily," he said letting out a breath. "You saw the DNA, it was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again," Rose said, before widening her eyes and meeting his gaze. "Doctor, all those people." Without hesitation they jumped to their feet and dashed out for the lift.

Finally making it down to the reception hall after impatiently waiting for the lift, they swerved through the crowd searching for Lazarus. "I can't see him," Martha said frantically.

The Doctor took Rose's hand and darted over to another side, scanning the area. "He can't be far. Keep looking."

"Check by the machine," Rose suggested as they took off.

Before Martha could continue looking, Leo came up to her and stopped. "Hey, you all right? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?" she asked quickly.

"Yeah, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With _Tish!?"_ Martha cried.

Both Rose and the Doctor heard her and immediately came over to her, as well as her mother. "Ah, Doctor-"

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked quickly, ignoring the woman.

Leo looked confused. "Upstairs I think, why?"

"Doctor_—_" Francine tried again but he along with Rose passed by her, accidentally spilling her drink on her in the process. "I'm speaking to you!" she called after them.

"Not now, Mum!" Martha called back as she followed them.

Shaking her head Francine stood where she was in shock and caution as her daughter rushed after those people who she claimed to be her friends. Something about that couple gave her a chill, fearing exactly what they were doing with Martha. They could be poisoning her precious girl's mind into doing dangerous stunts, ruining her ambitions by planting negative ideas there instead.

"I think you need one of these," said a man dressed in a tux who came up to her with another glass of champagne, handing it to her.

"Thank you," she said as she took the glass gingerly. "That's very kind of you."

The man turned to look in the direction where Martha and that Doctor and Rose ran off to. "Do you know that couple?"

"No. They're…friends of my daughter's," she answered with a frown.

"Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully," he told her quietly before walking away.

_That was a sign,_ Francine thought. Her suspicions were confirmed: those people weren't good for her Martha_—_they were trouble.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The three made it back up to Lazarus' office, which was still empty with the man himself and Tish nowhere around. "Where are they?" Martha asked frantically.

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature," the Doctor said as he pulled out the sonic and began to scan the room. "I might be able to pick it up…got him!" he exclaimed.

"Where?" Instead of answering her, he held the sonic up to the ceiling. "But this is the top floor," Martha told him.

"What about the roof?" Rose suggested as she turned to run out of the room.

"Exactly," the Doctor agreed as he and Martha caught up to her and made their way up the stairs to the rooftop. Coming up to the door, he opened it quietly before stepping outside. Sure enough, Lazarus was standing with Tish.

The Doctor turned to them and placed a finger over his lips as a signal to remain silent as they snuck out to stand a fair distance away from them.

"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect," they overheard Lazarus say to Tish. "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act_—_'"

"'_—_falls the shadow'," the Doctor finished the quote softly, making their presence known.

Lazarus turned to them with a surprised expression. "So, the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish whispered irritably.

"Tish, get away from him," Martha told her firmly.

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus," the Doctor spoke up. "What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You're right, Doctor," Lazarus said with that condescending smirk that Rose wanted to slap off of his face. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the _time_ that matters, it's the _person_."

"But if it's the _right_ person, what a gift that would be."

"Or what a _curse_. Look at what you've done to yourself."

Lazarus snorted. "Who are you to judge me?"

"Over here, Tish," Martha ordered again.

Tish rolled her eyes as she stomped over to her. "You have to spoil everything, don't you?" she snapped. "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

Rose felt another chill as Lazarus began to spasm. She tapped the Doctor's arm and he stiffened.

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha yelled.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones," her sister said.

"Uh, Tish," Rose began. "The age part isn't the only thing that's freaky."

As she turned around she didn't see Lazarus anymore. Now she was met with the grotesque monster that Lazarus had become, which resembled a scorpion with a skeletal exterior and a human face. The creature growled and that was their cue to scram.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted as he grabbed Rose's midsection to push her ahead of him as they dashed for the door. The girls passed through and once the Doctor did, he soniced the door shut behind him before continuing.

They caught the lift and Tish looked horrified. "Are you okay?" Martha asked.

"I was gonna snog him," Tish said quietly out of disbelief.

A loud banging noise came from above them and then the lights went out, causing an alarm to blare. _**"Security One."**_

"What's happening?" Rose asked, her eyes dancing around the darkened hall.

"Uh, it's an intrusion," Tish told her. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor said as he glanced over to the side. "C'mon, the stairs!" He grabbed Rose's hand as the four of them dashed down the stairs.

They heard the door finally crash open from above. "He's inside!" Martha cried.

"Haven't got much time!" the Doctor yelled, not slowing his pace as he dragged Rose along with him. She inwardly thanked herself for choosing to wear a pair of dressy shoes that were still fit for running.

Finally making it back down to the reception, the Doctor whipped his head around. "Tish! Is there another way out of here?"

She pointed to the side. "There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."

"Rose," he tossed her the sonic. "You know the setting for locks?"

"Fifty-one, right?" she asked.

He smiled proudly. "That's my girl. Hurry," he thrust his hand over to the exit before jumping up to the chamber to address the guests. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

One of the posh women scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, the biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

Rose rolled her eyes and made an irritated sound as she worked on the doors. _Snobs_. Just then they heard glass shatter as Lazarus broke into the room. "Everyone, this way!" she called out to the screaming guests.

As the girls ushered the people out of the room Lazarus smashed his way through the reception before stopping in front of a woman frozen in shock. "No! Get away from her!" the Doctor yelled but it was too late. All that was left of the woman was a drained corpse as she fell to the floor. He looked over and saw Leo on the ground with Martha and Francine trying to get him to his feet, but Lazarus was headed for them.

The Doctor stepped down from the platform and ran up to the creature. "Lazarus! Leave them alone!" He got its attention. "What's the point if you can't control it? The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool_—_a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!"

With that he dashed down a corridor with Lazarus chasing after him.

"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked as Martha examined Leo's condition.

Rose licked her lips and shivered inside. "He's trying to buy us some time, let's not waste it. How is he?"

"He's got concussion," Martha said before putting some ice in a napkin and pressing it to his head. "That'll keep the swelling down. We'll need to help him downstairs."

"Okay, let's go."

They made it to the large doors, but noticed much of the guests were locked in. "We can't get out!" Tish cried. "We're trapped!"

Looking around Rose noticed a panel off to the side. "I'm on it!" Sliding over a desk she ran the sonic over the controls, hoping it would reactivate the system. Another moment later the power came back on as the doors unlocked, the frightened guests pouring out of the exit. Making her way out she saw Martha checking on her family. "Everyone okay?"

Martha nodded. "Yeah, think we're good."

"Good. Right then, I'll see ya. Nice meeting you all!" With that Rose took off to the stairs.

Watching her friend dart back in the building Martha knew what she was doing, and she couldn't leave them alone with that monster. Turning back to her family, she told them quickly, "I've got to go back."

"You can't!" Francine cried, grabbing her arm to stop her. "You saw what that thing did, it'll kill you."

"I don't care, I have to go."

"It's that Doctor, isn't it? Him and that woman, Rose?" Francine said with a mix of seriousness and fear. "That's what's happened to you. That's why you've changed."

"He was buying us time, Martha," Tish said. "Time for you to get out, too. He's got Rose with him, they're fine."

Martha shook her head and released herself from her mother. "I'm not leaving them behind."

Running back inside up the stairs, Rose was at the top waiting for her. "Told you I'd see ya," she said with a smile before they took off.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Once the lights turned on, the Doctor was exposed as the basement lit up, and he stopped creeping through the tall pipes. "Peek-a-boo," the voice rasped. Raising his head, he saw Lazarus hanging above him.

"Oh…hello," the Doctor greeted before dodging the creature's attack, running down another corridor. He made it to another lab and bust his way in. He noticed the gas jets and came up with something, and it would be a big bang.

Jumping on a table he began to pull apart the smoke alarm. He reached into his jacket to grab the sonic out of instinct, then remembered he gave it to Rose to unlock the doors. Muttering to himself, he spliced the wires manually before stepping down to turn on the gas jets. Maybe he could make her one of her own to keep one day.

Suddenly the door busted down as Lazarus crashed through, prompting the Doctor to immediately duck behind the table and quietly crawling to the back of the room.

"More hide-and-seek, Doctor? How disappointing," the creature rasped, searching the room. Remaining silent, the Doctor turned on the last of the gas jets as Lazarus continued. "Why don't you come out and face me?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" he said aloud before standing up into view. "Why would I wanna face that, hmm?"

In a swift motion he turned away and ran to the exit, slamming the light switch on the way out before diving forward to the floor as the lab exploded. Quickly scrambling to his feet he charged down the hall. As he turned a corner he let out a noise of surprise as he bumped into Rose with Martha close behind her.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked bewildered.

"Returning this," Rose grinned as she handed him the sonic. "You're useless without it."

Pocketing the device, he arched an eyebrow at her. "How did you_—_"

"I heard the explosion, so of course I knew it'd be you."

He nodded. "I blasted Lazarus."

"Did you kill him?" Martha asked.

Just as he opened his mouth to respond the monster in question barged into the hall. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say, c'mon!" The Doctor pushed the girls ahead of him as they tore through the corridors for an exit, resulting in them ending up in the reception hall.

"We've just run around in a circle," Martha said.

"Now what?" Rose asked hurriedly as the Doctor looked around for some kind of options.

He turned to the chamber. "We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in." Without any protest, the girls rushed in just as Lazarus turned a corner and was entering the room. The Doctor pushed himself in and shut the door behind him, leaning his back against it. The chamber was extremely snug as Martha was squeezed to his side and Rose was pressed…_very _close to his front.

He gulped, hopefully not too audibly, at this situation_—_this very _intimate _situation. _Oh, boy._

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked, trying to get comfortable.

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor said. "But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we're trapped!"

"Well…yeah, that's a slight problem," the Doctor admitted with a slight head tilt.

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Yes, the plan was to get inside of here," he told her.

"And then what?"

"Well…then I'd come up with another plan," he answered quickly, making Rose snort.

"In your own time, then," Martha snapped.

"He makes them up as he goes along," Rose told her. "He's usually brilliant at it…" she looked up at him. "_Usually_."

Rolling his eyes the Doctor squirmed around accidentally elbowing Martha in the side. "Sorry, sorry," he apologized.

Proceeding with the stickiness of the situation, he attempted to reach a hand into his jacket to grab the sonic…and ended up with it going through one of Rose's shoulder straps and flat against her open chest just above the low neckline of her dress. They both looked at each other in surprise before Rose helped him out by retrieving the sonic herself, her cheeks blushing.

"Need this?" she said, waving it at him with a teasing grin.

Feeling his ears turn pink he realized he had yet to remove his hand from her chest. Quickly pulling it back he grabbed the sonic. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Thanks," he said in a low voice.

"What're you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

He held it up and grinned. "Improvise." Now to get to his destination. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Well…it was.

Moving in what little space was available the Doctor tried to slide down to the floor with great difficulty as all he was thinking about was that, in the process, he was sliding down Rose as well, causing his breath to hitch. _Rassilon, help him._

He crouched down on the floor, but Rose's foot was above the panel he was about to work on. Carefully he placed his hand around her ankle and gently nudged her foot over a little. "'Scuse me."

Rose couldn't help but smile down at him. This was very…pleasing in a way. "'S okay, you're fine," she said, then lightly added, "Sorry if I'm too distracting."

The Doctor glanced up for a second and smirked before returning to panel with the sonic, pulling it up.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from," Martha said. "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," he said.

"_Human?_" she asked in disbelief. "How can it be human?"

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback," Martha said.

"Some option that evolution rejected for humans millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box," Rose commented.

He nodded, his eyes remained at his work. "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way, girls," he added casually.

Suddenly the chamber shook as a blue light came on. "Doctor, what's happening?" Martha asked fearfully.

He shot his head up for a moment and began to work faster. "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."

"That's not good, is it?"

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor said.

Rose squirmed a bit as another chill shot through her. "Doctor, I don't wanna hurry you, but_—_"

"I know, I know, nearly done," he said quickly.

"What're you doing?"

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

Her eyes widened. "Will that kill him?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size," he explained. "Cellular triplication, so he's spreading himself thin."

"We're gonna end up like him!" Martha cried

He pulled the last wire. "Just one more!" With that everything stopped as they heard a crash from the outside. Rose held out her hands to help the Doctor to his feet. Once up, he opened the door and stepped out of the chamber, holding it for the girls.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha said breathing a sigh of relief.

The Doctor shook his head and groaned. "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice."

Rose chuckled and patted his arm. "That or you must be getting old."

He snorted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "True."

Also the fact that he was indeed somewhat pleasantly distracted by the close proximity to Rose. He shook his head. She probably already knew that and was teasing him. Cheeky woman.

They slowly walked over to join Martha as they stood over Lazarus's unconscious, unclothed, human form. "Oh God," Rose said quietly as the Doctor rubbed her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"He seems so…human again," Martha said. "It's kind of pitiful."

The Doctor nodded. "Eliot saw that, too. 'This is the way the world ends; not with a bang, but with a whimper'."

"Cheery," Rose mumbled as she looked at the man. As much as he was arrogant and driven by his vanity and riches, he still was a human being. "Though I gotta say that was a pretty _big_ bang."

* * *

**Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery that all started with the big bang_—_BANG! **


	23. The Lazarus Experiment Part 3

**A/N: Yay, the site came back on! I've been waiting all day to post this, and I never post at this time, so here ya go! ****As always many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore all of you ;) ****Oh, and for those of you who enjoy my little references I occasionally throw in at the ends of the chapters, you get an extra special hug from me lol**

* * *

_**Chapter 23: The Lazarus Experiment Part 3**_

The trio solemnly exited the building once medical services came in to take away the body. Looking around, they saw all of the guests still appearing to be frantic after what had happened, chatting with the officials and being secured with safety blankets. The Doctor kept Rose close to him with his arm around her shoulders as he raised his opposite hand to undo his bow tie, let it hang loose and tugged at his collar.

Martha's family was near the bottom of the stairs and Tish immediately ran over to hug her.

Her mother came over as well, and the Doctor smiled at her, releasing his arm from Rose. "Ah, Mrs. Jones, we still haven't finished out chat."

His cheerful expression soon turned to one of pure shock when Francine stepped up and slapped him hard across the face, sending him into Rose.

"Keep away from my daughter," she hissed. _"Both_ of you."

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha cried, just as shocked.

"Always the mothers. Every time," the Doctor muttered as he rubbed his cheek.

"They're dangerous!" Francine said. "I've been told things."

"What're you talking about?" Martha asked irritably.

Francine gestured around them. "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"Do you have _any_ idea how many others would've died if it _wasn't_ for him?" Rose shot back, gesturing around as well. "D'you see how many people are here safe and sound and _alive_? He saved them all! You should be grateful that you're standing here right now because of him."

"Rose," the Doctor said quietly, placing a hand on her waist as he tried to pull her back.

Before Francine could make a comeback, Martha stepped up. "Mum, just stop. They're my friends, and they saved us. _All_ of us. So just stop it!"

Suddenly they heard a crash up the street. Without another thought both the Doctor and Rose took off in its direction. Martha went to follow, but was stopped when her mother grabbed her arm. "Leave them. They've got each other," she told her.

That was true. They've got each other and they always will, but they were her friends. And she wasn't leaving them when she could help them whenever they needed it. She understood her mother's concern, but right now they needed her. Looking at her mum, she shook her head and ran after them.

When she caught up to them at the ambulance, she realized that Tish had followed her, and was shocked. Her mum was definitely upset now that both of her daughters defied her. Looking inside she gasped when she saw the drained corpses of the EMTs and an empty stretcher.

"Lazarus, back from the dead. Should've known, really," the Doctor said as he pulled out the sonic and scanned the area.

"Of course," Rose said with a sigh.

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked.

He stopped and looked up at where he pointed the sonic. "That way, the church."

"_Cathedral_," Tish corrected him, making the others look at her curiously and she shrugged. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

"How close were you two gettin'?" Rose asked, before the Doctor nudged her as they headed for the structure.

The church was dark with small beams of moonlight shining through the stained plexiglass. Rose stood behind the Doctor, who led the way with the sonic held in front of him. Churches always seemed to give off some sort of chill to Rose, but now that it was nighttime and there was a man that could spasm at any moment and drain a body in a few seconds hiding in here, then the eerie sensation was multiplied.

"Why here?" she whispered. "Of all the places to hide out, why here?"

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor responded, keeping his focus ahead. Cautiously moving through the cathedral they noticed a beam of moonlight shining behind the altar, and a figure in the center of it.

Approaching closer they saw that it was Lazarus seated on the ground with the safety blanket from the ambulance still wrapped around his frame. They heard his breaths come out ragged before turning into light gasps. The Doctor held an arm up to the others to stay where they were as he walked closer to the man.

"I came here before. A lifetime ago," Lazarus said as the Doctor began to slowly pace around him. "I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was _sure_ of it. I sat there, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside."

The Doctor stopped in front of him while Rose realized what he was referring to. "The Blitz," she said from behind.

"You've read about it," Lazarus said, turning his head slightly to her.

"We were there," the Doctor said softly, glancing over at Rose, also noticing the other girls flit their eyes between them in surprise.

Lazarus scoffed as he faced the Doctor again. "You're too young."

"So are you," he said.

The man gave a short laugh before gasping again as his bones cracked. He was going to mutate again soon. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive," he gasped again as the Doctor circled him. He glanced up at the high ceiling and Rose followed his gaze as the man continued. "I swore I'd never face death like that again_—_so defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back…defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today."

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected arrogantly.

"What about the other people who died?" the Doctor retorted in a hard voice.

Lazarus let out a mirthless chuckle. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

Stopping in front of the man again, the Doctor couldn't hold in his anger at the arrogance in this man. "Any of them might have done, too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

He began to pace around again, walking towards the girls while Lazarus spoke up. "No, Doctor. _Avoiding_ death_—__that's_ being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more…successful." He finished with another strangled groan as his body cracked again.

"Look at yourself!" the Doctor shouted, his voice echoing in the atmosphere. "You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now than I was, more than just an ordinary human."

The Doctor glanced over to the girls, lingering his gaze on Rose for a moment before saying softly. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human."

"He's gonna change again at any minute," Rose whispered to him.

He nodded and whispered back. "I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

"Up there?" she pointed up at the ceiling, wondering exactly what he was planning as he nodded. Martha moved over to look up as well, nodding to Rose. The Doctor walked away from the girls to pace around the man again.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus said. "Maybe you _are_ older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one," the Doctor said sadly. As he walked, Rose swore that she saw him glance over at her a few times, and she felt a deep sadness in his tone hit her. That's all that he knew_—_sadness and loneliness. "In the end, you just get tired," he continued. "Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust." He stopped and crouched down beside Lazarus. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?" the Doctor asked, arching an eyebrow.

Instead of answering him, Lazarus groaned again as his bones cracked even louder. "I will feed soon," he warned.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Doctor said calmly.

Lazarus chuckled and said derisively, "You've not been able to stop me so far."

"Hey Lazarus!" Rose shouted suddenly, stepping around forward, causing the Doctor to whip around in shock. "You wouldn't want him, he's old and bitter. Why not have some fresher meat?"

"Rose, no!" the Doctor shouted in horror, but she avoided his gaze.

Lazarus snarled as he began to change and lunged himself at her, but luckily the three girls ran for the door and up the stairs.

"What were you thinking?" Tish demanded.

"It got him moving, didn't it?" Rose reasoned.

"The Doctor's not gonna like this, you know," Martha told her.

"Oh well, he bought us time earlier, now we'll do the same for him."

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted from below.

At the sound of her name, Rose stopped to shout back at him. "Doctor! The tower!"

He didn't respond back as he must've made his own way. Catching up to the girls she led them to the spiral staircase going to the top when they heard a scream and crunching bones echo off the walls from below. "Did you hear that?" Tish asked.

"He's changed again," Martha said.

"Come on, we've gotta lead him up," Rose urged, tugging them higher. They finally reached the highest level and she heard the Doctor shout her name again.

She leaned over one of the pillars to call back to him as she seen him coming out of a stairway. "Doctor!"

He spun around and faced her. "Take him to the top! The very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?"

"Up to the top!" she nodded before backing out from the side and meeting the girls again. What she didn't expect was to see Lazarus hurtling down the passageway. She pushed the sisters ahead of her. "Come on!"

Reaching the end of the hall the girls climbed up another staircase leading up to a circular walkway at the bell tower.

"There's nowhere to go! We're trapped!" Tish cried.

"The Doctor has a plan," Rose assured her. "This is where he said to bring him."

"All right, so we're not trapped_—_we're _bait_."

"Tish, he knows what he's doing," Martha told her. "We have to trust him."

"Ladies," they heard Lazarus hiss from the end of the hall.

Rose made a move to push the others out the entrance, but they held themselves back. "We're not just gonna leave you here," Martha told her.

"You've got to, I can distract him enough so you two can get out," Rose reasoned.

Martha scoffed. "No way, we're staying with you."

_So, this must be how the Doctor always feels when she insists on staying._ Letting out a sigh in defeat, Rose nodded just as the hideous creature barged in, cornering them. "C'mon, whatcha gonna do?" she challenged.

Seeing him shift, Rose swiftly moved and missed being hit by his scorpion-like tail, however when she ducked she bumped into the rackety railing surrounding the circular walkway and knocking it down. Losing her footing she felt herself stumble as she fell, just grabbing hold of the edge and hanging on for dear life.

"Rose, hold on!" Martha cried from behind Lazarus.

She inwardly rolled her eyes. Well, she sure as hell wasn't going to let go. No, that was rude. Martha was afraid, and so was she. Whatever the Doctor was planning, he better be working hard on it. She can only hold on for so long.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Rose muttered as she heard the sound of an organ being played. Still, she just hoped his plan was working. Her head began to pound at the vibrations as her vision blurred but she tightened her grip on the shaky edge, keeping herself up while Lazarus hovered over her and cornered Martha and Tish.

"Get away from her!" she heard Martha yell. Lazarus swung his tail again, missing the sisters and nearly whacking Rose in the head. "Rose, just keep holding on!"

"I am!" She cried. As the organ's volume increased she gritted her teeth and clamped her eyes shut as the sound was agonizing, screeching in her ears as she also fought the pain in her arms as she hung from the platform with all of her strength.

The Doctor's plan was working as she heard the inhuman wails belting out from Lazarus. Opening her eyes she saw him convulse before falling forward, plummeting to the ground far below and landing with a hard thud. Relief washed over her as the organ stopped.

And she felt her fingers slip as she lost her grip…

Her heart ended up in her throat as she felt herself descend, her head floating in a cloud.

…and then her body jerked.

Luckily Martha and Tish rushed right over and grabbed a hold of her arms. "We've got you, hold on."

They began to haul her back up onto the platform. Once she was safe she tried to still her now rapidly beating heart from pounding out of her chest just missing a tremendous tumble to join Lazarus.

"Rose? Martha?" The Doctor called out from below. Just as she finally found her breath, he called out again. "ROSE!"

"I'm fine! I'm okay!" Rose shouted down to him. "We're all okay!" Though she was up so high she swore she could hear him let out a sigh of relief from below. No doubt he was on the edge the whole time just as she was_—_metaphorically speaking for him and _literally_ speaking for her.

She turned to the sisters. "Thank you, both of you," she said quietly.

Tish chuckled nervously. "It's your Doctor you should be thanking."

"Told you he'd think of something," Martha said with a smile.

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?"

Rose grinned as she sat up straighter. "Yeah, but it's more fun that way."

Tish looked at her in wonder and asked out of curiosity. "Who are you two?"

"They're the Doctor and Rose Tyler," Martha answered happily.

"That's us," Rose cheered. "The stuff of legend."

When the girls finally made it back down from the bell tower, they were met with the Doctor pacing around with his hand thrusted in his hair. The moment they stepped down from the stairs, he turned to them as Rose ran over to him. He scooped her up in a tight hug and spun her around before setting her down to her feet to kiss her deeply, holding her tight in his arms.

"I guess that makes us even now," he said once he broke the kiss.

She put on a thoughtful expression. "I guess so."

He smirked and kissed her forehead. "But still, you're brilliant." Releasing Rose, he turned to give Martha a hug as well. "Both of you…are brilliant."

"I didn't know you could play," Martha commented as he pulled back to wrap an arm around Rose's waist.

"Oh, well, you know. When you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up," he said with a shrug as he grinned.

"Especially about playing loud," Rose chuckled.

The Doctor lifted his arm from around her and leaned closer with a hand behind his ear. "Sorry?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes playfully while Martha laughed. "How 'bout this," Rose leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Let's go home, old man."

He pulled away with mock offense. "Now that was rude." Rose just smiled widely at him and looped an arm around his as they made their way out of the cathedral.

"Oh, I meant to say that I'm sorry about earlier," Martha said as they walked out. "About Mum and all. She's not always like that…usually."

The Doctor waved it off. "Nah, it's okay. Not my first time dealing with mothers."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, if it's any consolation, my mum slapped him too. She thought he kidnapped me cos when he took me back home, he landed twelve _months_ later instead of twelve _hours_."

Martha's brows shot up. "Oh, my God!"

"Roooose, why do you have to keep bringing that up?" the Doctor whined.

"Now I see why she always mocks your driving skills," Martha laughed.

"Oi! I'm not that bad of a driver!"

Rose snorted again and patted his chest. "Keep saying it all you want, but even the TARDIS disagrees with that."

"Well, She's always defying me," he pointed an accusing finger at her. "Much like _you_. It's no wonder why She's so fond of you."

Martha laughed before returning to her apology. "Still though, I'm sorry about her."

Rose nodded. "She's a mother, and she cares about you. Mine was like that, too. That's how they are."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The trio finally made it back to Martha's flat where the TARDIS was parked. "Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor said as he unlocked the door before leaning against the frame with Rose by his side.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha said with a smile. "You should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourself in."

"It's been fun, though, hasn't it?" Rose asked with a smile.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Both Rose and the Doctor exchanged a quick glance before looking back at Martha. "So, what d'you say, one more trip?" he asked.

Martha flitted her eyes between them and the TARDIS. "No, sorry."

Rose frowned. "What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this: 'one more trip,'" she said honestly. "It's not fair."

The Doctor creased his brows. "What're you talking about?"

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore," Martha said, shaking her head. "Someone you two take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well…I'd rather stay here."

The Doctor nodded once. "Okay, then, if that's what you want."

Martha frowned for a moment but immediately covered it up. "Right. But we've already said goodbye once today, so it's really best if you just go." She turned and walked over to her bed, but realized they hadn't left. "What is it?"

"What?" The Doctor shrugged. "I said okay."

"Sorry?"

Rose smiled. "We want you to come with us."

Her face lit up. "Oh, thank you!" She ran over and hugged Rose and then the Doctor. "Thank you!"

"Well, you never really were just a passenger, were you?" the Doctor said, holding the door open for the girls.

Once inside Rose turned to Martha. "You're way more than that. You're our friend, and we enjoy having you around."

"Thank you," Martha said again. "Really. This is amazing."

"It's our pleasure," the Doctor said as he ran up to the console. "Right then! Where to?"

"Oh, can I change first? This dress is starting to get uncomfortable, and I might take a kip," Martha said.

"Fair enough. We'll be off afterwards then," he said, pulling the lever. "Welcome aboard…again, Miss Martha Jones."

Martha smiled at them before heading out to her room to change, though she wouldn't mind a quick kip before heading off. All she knew was that she was feeling extremely grateful that she could live a life like this again.

Once their friend left Rose was about to join her in changing out of her dress but instead stayed in the console room with the Doctor, who was fiddling with buttons. Stepping up to him by the console, she placed a hand on his forearm.

"I never thought I'd say it, but I might take a kip myself."

"Old habits, you know…" he commented lightly.

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah. You coming?"

"Hm?" He turned his head to her. "Oh, I'll be with you in a moment."

Translation: _I'm going to stay here by myself and away from anyone to dwell on the events of what happened tonight._

Speaking of old habits…

Studying him, she could easily tell he was brooding over something, which always led to guilt and anger and depression. It wasn't too difficult to read him. He shouldn't keep doing this to himself, just dwelling on the negative, but this was the Doctor_—_everything he did, everything said had an effect on him. He had told Lazarus that a longer life isn't always a better one, that the only certainty was that you'd always be left alone.

If there was anyone in the entire universe that understood and lived with the straying ache of loneliness it was the Doctor. For so long he's been burdened with that pain. He lost everyone and everything, the only thing left from his home was the TARDIS. But now he had her, and she wasn't going anywhere. As long as she was with him, he would always forgo any of that negativity, and she would always remind him that he wasn't alone anymore.

Moving closer to him she rested her head on his shoulder. "You know, Doctor…about what you said earlier," she began. "About living a longer life…" His hands stilled from fiddling with controls and she rubbed his arm comfortingly. "Sometimes there's a different certainty in the end."

"Is there?" he asked quietly, uncertain.

"Of course there is." She lifted her head and arched a brow at him. "Do you really believe there isn't?"

He glanced down at her, a small shadow cast on his face. "When you've lived as long as I have, it's all you can be sure about. You lose everyone and everything that matters to you while you live on. The world can fall apart and turn into dust and you just walk amongst the ashes. The sky could break and unleash Hell itself and you'd saunter on through it, wondering why you live with a curse. What else would there be?" He blinked a few times before turning away. "And now you could be doomed for the same fate," he whispered sadly.

She lifted her head off of his shoulder. "What?"

"You could spend the rest of your life with me_—_" _Provided that you'll wanna stay with me once you saw everything that I am, that is,_ he said in his mind before continuing out loud. "But everything would fall to dust around you as well…all because of me."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for me making my choice to stay with you," she said firmly.

"But you didn't choose this life_—_"

"Stop." Rose held out a hand to cut him off. "We've discussed this so many times, and you're still convinced that you're gonna end up alone. I told you so many times that I'm never leaving you, why can't you believe that? We both opened up to each other back on Noel_—_promised each other that we'd cherish all the time that we'll have together. And then we were given a gift_—_the opportunity to spend forever _together."_

He opened his mouth to speak but only closed it. _Oh, this poor, daft alien, _Rose thought to herself. He was always conflicting himself whenever he overthought everything.

"There's _so_ much more," she continued. "It doesn't have to be a curse for everyone, but rather a blessing for some_—_like for _us."_ His lips twitched upward. "For a while it may have felt like a curse to you, Doctor, and I can understand why you'd think like that. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore." Rose brought a hand up to the side of his face, turning him so she could see his eyes. The uncertainty was still visible but she could sense a little bit of belief behind all of that sadness. "We can prove that statement wrong," she told him quietly. "We _are_ proving it wrong."

Noticeably swallowing hard, the Doctor averted his gaze and let out a deep breath. "Are we really?"

"We do it every day. Every second that passes us by, we spend it together. You know I'm not going anywhere any time soon. And what we have," she gestured between them. "Can be so much more."

She paused to see what his response would be and he nodded once, though still looking crestfallen. She hated that expression as it hurt her inside at how haunted he was, and he'd always be that way. But what would it take to make him fully realize that she was here to heal as many of his wounds as possible?

His eyes met hers again and he felt her shiver when his hands moved to the rest on the small of her back, his cool fingers contrasting with her hot skin. Though still uncertain, he couldn't deny Rose from always trying to help him. "Always making me better," he commented softly with a small smile.

She smiled back. "It's what I'm here for, and I'm good at it."

"Oh, I know you are. You're brilliant at it. That and getting into trouble."

"And you're not?"

"No, no, I know that I'm brilliant as well," he tilted his chin up.

She playfully swatted his chest. "You have your fair share of getting yourself in dangerous situations too, you know."

"Never said I didn't." He narrowed his eyes. "I should be upset with you that you made yourself bait…but it did prove to be helpful. Not to mention it makes us even since I threw myself in front of a Dalek, so, I should just be grateful you escaped unharmed."

"I think it's this dress," Rose said, looking down at her outfit before raising her head with a sly grin. "It's throwing you off topic."

The Doctor licked his lips instinctively as his eyes raked over her appearance again, his ears starting to burn while that warm itch came over the back of his head. "Well, I must say that it's _highly_ distracting, much like yourself."

One of her hands moved up his arm, her fingers dancing up until reaching the nape of his neck while her other toyed with his loose bow tie and opened collar. "So I've been told. Though I thought I was only just a _bit," _she teased.

"Weeeell…" he drawled. "I've been meaning to ask you_—_where did that dress come from? It's very…" he trailed off when his voice lowered and he had to clear it.

"I've noticed how much you love it," she said cheekily as he hummed in approval. "It was specifically picked out from the TARDIS." His brows arched. Of course it was. Lately this lovely ship of his has been acting exceedingly cheeky, trying to push them further together more than usual. "I was having trouble figuring out what to wear, and then She sent it down to me," she continued.

"She chose well, I'd say. It's very…fitted," he commented, looking over it again.

"Was that all you thought about earlier?" she asked softly with a wide grin.

He swallowed hard as he felt his hearts begin to beat faster. He all but whispered. "Oh, yes."

Tilting her chin up a fraction, Rose moved closer until her lips ghosted over his own while her finger played with his open collar. "What about now?" For the second time today, the Doctor could've sworn that she had purred.

Rassilon, he's still hanging by that thread, and she was definitely going to pull it loose.

Opening his mouth to speak, nothing came out. Instead he closed what little space was between them to capture her lips, feeling them smile against his own. Gently massaging the nape of his neck, she moved her hand up to his head and tugged at his strands while nipping his lower lip before soothing the bite with her tongue, making him moan. Bringing a hand up to cradle her jaw, he angled her face just as she nipped him again and allowed her access.

Before she knew it, Rose found herself pressed back onto the console and let out a quiet, muffled yelp when the cold metal of the edge touched her lower back, causing the Doctor to snicker. Her hands remained in his hair as she scraped her nails over his scalp from front to back, earning a low growl from his chest. Starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the edge digging into her back, she shifted a bit until she straightened herself up and off of the console completely, fisting his tuxedo jacket.

Rose always knew how to make him better…and she was feeling a little daring at the moment. Maybe it was because he needed more reassurance of her promise to never leave him, or maybe it was because the TARDIS nudged her mind playfully. She had to have planned this_—_picking out a dress that She knew would make the Doctor's jaw drop and humming in her mind as if She was urging her to do something more. It was undeniable that the ship approved of their relationship. Maybe She was being like the matchmaker, giving them an extra push. This wonderful ship had been with him for centuries and has seen him at his darkest times and helped him through, but She couldn't do it all.

The conversation with Martha earlier came back to her, and that was all she thought about. What _was_ stopping them from taking their relationship up to the next level? They've already promised to be together forever, and they actually _will_ now. They've already been together for two years prior to admitting their feelings of mutual love to each other. They've already snogged each other senseless on many occasions to the point where it _could_ have gone further than just that.

Though they never discussed about such intimacy out loud they both seemed to silently understand each other and ease into it when they were ready. Up until now they've been on the same page but Rose wanted to skip to the next one. But did the Doctor want to?

Breaking away when they both breathless the Doctor didn't stop as he peppered her jaw with softer kisses and made his way down her neck, favoring the spot by her pulse point while she ran her nails through his hair. The itching in the back of his mind was growing far more than it ever has, up to the point where he couldn't brush it aside. He let out a small growl before raising his head to claim her lips again.

Was this really the time to do_…this?_ On one hand he was finding an alternative to rid himself of any recent guilt and needed to lose himself in this brilliant woman, but another part of his mind was yelling at him to not rush into this just yet. Right now he couldn't form a proper thought as he couldn't resist this moment.

With her hands grabbing his lapels Rose blindly pushed him back a little until the backs of his knees hit the jump seat, causing him to fall onto it but impressively without breaking the kiss. Shifting themselves on the seat, he managed to sit upright while Rose straddled his lap. She pulled his collar down another inch as she ran her fingers over a few of his soft hairs peeking over before lowering her head to place a light kiss to his chest then ascended up the hollow of his throat. Trying his hardest and failing he couldn't suppress the soft moan that escaped him once her tongue laved over his Adam's apple until she reached his mouth again, both of her hands placed on either side of his face. His own hands rested firmly on her hips before gliding up the open expansion of her back, burying one in her hair and loosening her low side bun as their tongues danced.

Clamping his eyes shut even tighter he shook inside as the itching feeling turned into a burning sensation at the base of his skull, rising higher and higher the longer this continued. How this escalated into something so intense and hungrily was beyond him, but it just _happened._ Still in the back of his burning mind he feared he was rushing her into this without her consent, and he would never force anything up on her. Not only that whether or not she was capable of forming a bond still remained to be unknown. Apparently going by this rate_—_

"Gah!"

Any and all thoughts diminished as he wretched his mouth off of hers and threw his head back, crying out in pain when she reflexively ground her hips into his. The burning sensation increased dramatically as it pierced through his head like a poker, causing his vision to blur.

Rose immediately was brought back out of her state the second he pulled back. "Doctor, what's wrong?" she said breathlessly and concerned.

Fighting the agonizing pain splitting his head he clenched his teeth as he tried to regain his breathing. "My head…" he gasped out.

"What is it, a headache?"

_A headache? Oh, no. This was far worse than a bloody migraine._

"Something like that," he said with a nod. He tried to blink away the spots before his eyes, but they clouded his vision and refused to fade. This was too much too soon. "I'm sorry, I can't-I can't…" His hands moved back down to her hips and gently eased her off of his lap.

"Are you okay? Do you need something?" Rose asked, still sounding concerned as well as a little confused.

Rubbing his temples, the Doctor shook his head. "I'll be fine. Just need to head over to the medbay and see what I can use." He raised his head and finally opened his eyes, taking in her slightly disheveled appearance.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean_—_"

"No, no, no, it's not your fault," he assured quickly. "These occur every once in a while, it's fine."

"You're sure you don't need me to help?"

"Just head off to bed, I'll be with you shortly. Thank you, Rose."

After eyeing him suspiciously Rose nodded and patted his shoulder before heading down the corridor to their room. Once she was of a safe distance away, the Doctor growled at the throbbing ache in his head. Whether this was a good or bad sign, all he knew was he hated living like this.

Was he diving in too deep, or was he just too afraid to dive in at all? Maybe he was both, but he was at a loss right now and didn't know what to do. If he was going to continue his relationship with Rose he'll have to bond with her, which was something frightening yet also amazing. They may have their forever together, but would Rose ever want to commit to something _that_ permanent?

Letting out a distressed sigh, he stood from the jump seat. Obviously there wasn't anything in the medbay to ease the ache piercing through his mind but the Doctor took it upon himself to head off onto the simulated balcony. It was still showing the Powell Estate, which was made specifically for Rose, but he didn't mind. A cool breeze blew against his hair contrasting with the heat pouring out from his head.

Luckily the burning had eased up, but the itch was still present and chose not to fade like it always did. Before he could easily brush it off as nothing and walk around not bothered by it. But after that particularly semi-intimate moment, what was just a simple itch turned into a white hot pain. He needed to bond with her soon, he just had to. But this wasn't just _anything_ to waltz into_—_this was permanent. Once it's created there's no turning back at all. Rose would have to live with it forever, and it worried him.

If she was capable of creating and containing a telepathic bond, she'd see every dark corner of his conscience. She would have to live with every burden he had ever kept hidden deep inside of himself, see everything he'd only wished could be easily forgotten, most of the heaviness of each flaw would weigh down on her shoulders. Rose was strong, he always stressed that, but this…this is powerful, definitely exceeding the limits of a human mind. While she was more advanced than an average human, the extent of power her mind could withstand was uncertain.

There was a solution to this, but it was something he was still hesitant to face. So until then, he'll do what he's been doing_—_wait.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

What was wrong with her? What had she done? Rose changed into her pajamas and lay down on their bed mentally kicking herself for what she did.

Not only did she initiate something much more intimate with the Doctor out of reflex and instinct, but she pushed the bar a little high and made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't ready for that yet, even though _she _was. Was she _really?_ To be honest she _thought_ she was, in fact she was _certain_ she was, but that was because she thought they were both on the same page. Evidently they were not.

Everything was going perfectly fine, almost like every other time they shared a passionate kiss, but it was almost as if something in both of them snapped and unleashed an unattainable intensity unlike any other. Never has such a caring and loving gesture ever turned into such a moment of pure hunger. In the span of how ever long it had lasted, she felt herself drown in a deep desire of falling slowly with him in an even greater state of bliss.

Now he was apparently suffering with a severe headache. There was no way any of that wasn't her fault. The moment she pushed a little more he pulled away as if he got burned. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his sudden recoil, but then again she could understand his discomfort. Sharing a bed was one thing, and light tender caressing of the skin was another, but what she initiated was much more intimate.

He couldn't have _pretended_ to be in pain though, could he? No. Judging by his actions he seemed to be enjoying the act as much as her. He was probably just hesitant, that's all. As much as she wanted it, she wasn't going to force him into it if he wasn't ready. They're building their relationship up as each day goes by, and it's still relatively fresh…in a way.

A gentle nudge from the TARDIS came to her mind, sounding supportive and sympathetic. If She had planned something for them it should've gone through, right? Rose stretched her arm to pat the wall behind their bed.

"Went a little far, did I?" The TARDIS responded with a hum and what seemed to be the equivalent of a head tilt. "Were you planning for that to happen, Old Girl? Were you trying to get us to…?" Another hum and a shrug. She was acting far too innocent. There was more to it than that.

Oddly enough, Rose shrugged as she moved back down into the covers. Closing her eyes, a soft whisper filled her ears. _"Patience, my Wolf. You are ready for my Thief."_

Smiling at the calm voice in her mind, it turned into a soothing melodic hum and sent her off to sleep.


	24. Four Things and a Lizard

**A/N: Okaaaay, I know you were all a little surprised by how the last chapter ended, but it'll lead into something later on. ****As always, many thanks to those who have reviewed, followed, and faved! I love your feedback! :D**

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_**Chapter 24: Four Things and a Lizard**_

Not to Rose's surprise she found herself waking up alone. In fact she wouldn't blame the Doctor for not even coming to bed with her after that…incident a few hours ago. Knowing him he'll just brush it off as nothing, so she might as well do the same for now.

Once again the TARDIS nudged her mind and told her not to worry about that situation and to be patient. Accepting that she patted the wall for thanks and got up to get changed, settling on a simple blue top and jeans. Making her way out she coincidentally bumped into the Doctor.

"Oh! You're awake," he said.

"Yeah, I just woke up."

He arched his brows. "And not even the slightest bit grumpy," he commented lightly. "You're improving more and more."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "Shut up."

He nodded and raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Ehm, I didn't mean to leave you alone. I was just, er…" he hooked a thumb out behind him.

"No, 's okay," she assured. "You had to take care of your headache…how're you feelin' now?"

"All better. Took a pill for it - not aspirin, of course. That'd make the situation a _lot_ worse."

Rose snorted. "Definitely."

"Wouldn't want that." He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet. "So…I was thinking of taking you girls on a special trip."

"Yeah? Where exactly?"

The Doctor leaned forward and booped her nose. "That is a surprise."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "You and your surprises."

That contagious manic grin split his face. "Oh yes! C'mon!"

He ran out and back to the console room and Rose immediately followed. It was nice that whatever awkwardness and humiliation happened a few hours ago was brushed off. Though she couldn't help but feel a little warmness spread across her insides at the gesture, at how close they were…

Okay, best not think of that right now.

Entering the console room the Doctor immediately went to work on the controls, plugging in coordinates. "All right, here we go! Always wanted to check this place out," he flipped the switch with an exaggerated wave of his arm and spun around in a circle.

"Think we should wake up Martha first?" she asked with a chuckle.

His smile faded a bit. "Right. Good idea."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Rise and shine, Martha Jones!"

Martha jolted out of her slumber at the incredibly loud shout of her name. Looking over to the door of her room she noticed the Doctor standing there with a wide grin on his face. "Who needs an alarm clock when there's you," she commented as she rubbed her eyes.

"Why would I need an alarm clock aboard?" he questioned. "Completely pointless idea. No need to keep time with that when I've got superior Time senses. And not to mention, there's so much out in the universe and humans waste it by sleeping away off in their little fantasies when it's all waiting for them outside."

"Sorry for still being human, then," Martha commented.

"Well, that's not your fault, is it? Blame evolution. Besides…I checked with the TARDIS and She said you were about to wake up in about five minutes anyway."

"She can do that too?"

He nodded. "Of course She can." He clapped his hands together. "All right, now. Up you go! We've landed at an amazing destination, and you wouldn't wanna miss out on all the fun."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," he sighed and shook his head. "Boy, both you and Rose always wanna spoil everything. Now c'mon," he cheered before dating out the door and calling out. "Off we go!"

Getting up out of bed Martha went over to her wardrobe and got herself ready. She should probably get used to mornings_—_or what had seemed like mornings_—_like this. It was still thrilling that she could continue living this exciting life with her friends. She couldn't thank them enough for allowing her to travel with them more.

Once she finished she head out into the corridor and entered the console room, meeting with the dynamic duo. Rose was sitting on the jump seat while the Doctor fiddled with random buttons, looking like their normal chipper selves. Martha wondered what had happened with these two when she left to go to her room last night. Did they really…

No, she shouldn't keep thinking of such inappropriate things. These were her friends and whatever went on with their private life was none of her business. She mentally kicked herself for even bringing the topic up to Rose last night. That was out of line, she knew better than that.

"So where are we then?" Martha asked.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Take a look."

Both girls exchanged a glance before walking down the ramp and opening the door. They were greeted with…London. Rose stuck her head out and looked around. Same old London. "Uh, Doctor…we're still in London."

"What?" He made his way down the ramp and saw exactly that. "Oh. Well…may have been redirected, I guess."

"You're just using that as an excuse for your poor driving skills," Rose teased.

He rolled his eyes as he ran back over to the console. "That has absolutely nothing to do with it. My skills are very good, mind you. Anyway, we must've been thrown off by some kind of energy source or perhaps a_—_"

A guttural inhuman screech cut him off in the far distance causing the three travelers to dash out of the TARDIS. "What the hell was that?" Rose asked.

Instead of answering her the Doctor whipped out his sonic and scanned the area, turning in a circle until he came to a stop. "C'mon, this way!" He took off past the girls in the direction of the signal. After another moment they came across an alleyway and a reptilian creature climbing up a wall while holding what appeared to be crimson colored eggs in one of its arms. "Oh, that's interesting," the Doctor said as the creature leaped over the rooftops.

"Was that…a lizard?" Martha asked.

"Pretty much. Technically speaking, it was a Klugobbi_—_very similar to lizards though."

"Were those eggs it was carrying?" Rose cut in.

"Oh yes," the Doctor answered. "But those eggs weren't Klugobbian, they were Jaastian. Those are nearly impossible to be seen at such an early stage, much less be retrieved." He led them out of the alley to scan the area while he explained. "The Jasstians have one of the most royal empires in the Sgan galaxy, keepers of riches and items easily worth one hundred and twenty times more than this entire planet. Because they're so prestigious they migrated to the other side of the galaxy in a secluded area and away from the Klugobbians_—_better known as the thick fugitives of that galaxy, always scavenging around other planets to knick off precious bits to sell at a black market to make a profit. Apparently they're not that thick if one somehow broke into the empire."

"And of course they've gotta do it on Earth," Rose said.

"What's so special about those eggs?" Martha asked.

"Jaastians reproduce seasonally, which to them is once every three hundred years corresponding to their solstice calendar, and those eggs belonged to the monarchs judging by the color. And if they've found out that their offspring have been stolen, which undoubtedly they already have…" he snorted before running back to the TARDIS, the girls following.

Once they reached it, they noticed the Doctor pull up the floor grating and head underneath to retrieve something. "Please don't tell me that they're gonna invade the planet for harboring a fugitive who kidnapped their children," Rose said with a sigh. Of course she knew where this was going.

"Not only that," he commented from beneath the grating. "Klugobbian black market traders always take their dealers along with them and exchange, but_—_" he popped up with three bows and quivers filled with arrows. "We can stop any more madness with these."

Martha's brows shot up. "Are you suggesting we _kill_ them? That's pretty violent, don't you think?"

"No, no, no," he lifted one of the arrows up from a quiver and held it up. "They're only sedatives to slow the Klugobbian down and put him to sleep. Not death, just a little knockout. They wear off after thirty minutes. Although…that may have been a teenage Klugobbian, in which case we'll have to dose it with even more." He leaped out from his hole. "Still, they're harmless."

"Wait a minute," Rose cut in. "So we've got to prevent, what, two incidents?"

He scratched his chin before attaching his quiver. "Weeell, we've gotta stop the Klugobbian from selling the eggs to the dealer, prevent the eggs from hatching prematurely, save the planet from being charged by the Jaastians, and…probably another thing yet to be found."

"So, basically a normal day," Rose commented.

"Yep!" He tossed the girls their quivers and bows. "Allons-y!"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

With the sonic in his hand again the Doctor scanned for tracings of the Klugobbian before taking off down the street. "Nothing like a nice lizard hunt, yeah?" Rose commented from beside him.

He smiled at her and chuckled. Before skidding to a stop. "Hold on…" he held the sonic up to his ear. "There's two other signals. The Jaastians are already here."

"But what's the other one?" Martha asked.

His brows furrowed as he listened intently to the incoming signal. "Oh."

"What is it?" Rose asked, even though she had a pretty sure idea of what he was going to say.

He turned to glance over to her. "I think we've found that fourth thing," he breathed out before heading down the street, explaining at a rapid rate. "Thick, thick, thick Klugobbians! They only care for a profit but look no further than that. This one is about to trade with an Ulrissi, and that's not good."

"And how bad is that?" Martha asked breathlessly as they ran.

"Very, very bad," the Doctor answered, turning a corner. "Klugobbians are known as the greatest thieves in the Sgan galaxy, but compared to the Ulrissi they're just children stealing candy."

"Meaning?"

"It's going to rob the eggs for itself without paying the profit."

"Wait a minute," Rose cut in. "So, the thief is gonna get robbed by another thief, and now they're both gonna get apprehended by those…"

"Jaastians," he supplied. "And yes. So now we've got four things to handle. And going by the signal, we haven't got much longer until the migration."

"Just an average day in our lives," Rose said lightly.

Making it down the end of the street they saw a black slime trail leading down another alley. Following it they came across the Klugobbian and the Ulrissi, which was indeed jet black with scales, also reptilian with a singular extended tooth protruding from its upper lip. Peeking over the wall, the trio hid away as they carefully watched the situation. Indistinct conversing in gurgles and screeches soon led to the Klugobbian exchanging the bundle of eggs over to the Ulrissi, who took them with ease.

Just as the exchange happened the Klugobbian screeched and gestured impatiently waiting for his reward. The Ulrissi simply shook its head and answered with another gurgling sound and made a move to leave, but the other creature brought it back and screeched loudly in frustration, only to be knocked down when the Ulrissi whipped its massive tail at it and crawled up the wall with the eggs.

The Klugobbian got up and lifted up its arm. A watch or a controller of some sorts was wrapped around its wrist. Pressing a button it screeched into the device before taking off.

"It's on the run again," the Doctor said as he turned to head back into the streets.

"I'm guessing it just summoned more lizards, then," Martha commented, adjusting her quiver.

The Doctor nodded and widened his eyes. "Oh, it's just welcomed a swarm. Along with the Jaastians on their way…"

"It's gonna be an all out war," Rose finished. "Lovely."

With the sonic still out the Doctor scanned the streets and got their location. "It's about a mile away, and it's moving fast."

"Good thing there's a cab," Martha said with a smile as she pointed over at an approaching taxi.

Immediately piling into the vehicle the three jiggled impatiently until finally coming to their stop. The Doctor, to no surprise, jumped out before the cab while it was still moving.

"Doctor, you've gotta pay_—_" Martha attempted but realized she wasn't getting anywhere with her sentence.

Rose rolled her eyes while she paid the driver. "I got it." Luckily she managed to have a few pounds on her at all times_—_unlike one particular Time Lord who never carried any Earth currencies.

"Are you ever gonna pay for anything on this planet?" she asked him when she and Martha exited the taxi.

"We're in the middle of an interplanetary war zone over the kidnapping of hatching royal offspring, and you're worried about paying a bill," he told her.

"Rude," she said.

He winked at her before returning to the situation at hand. "All right, we've got about twenty minutes 'til the red hatching, let's get a move on."

The three took off until a woman called out behind them. "Doctor! Rose!"

At the sound of their names, they turned around with confused and curious expressions to see a young blonde woman running out from a corner shop and over to them.

Rose eyed the woman cautiously. "Hello."

The Doctor, on the other hand, still greeted happily. "Hello! Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it."

The blonde flitted her eyes between them, awestruck. "My God, it's you. It really is _you_." Rose arched a brow at her. "Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

"Uh, sorry_—_" Rose began until she was cut off by Martha's calls.

"We don't have time for this," she said, rushing back to them. "The migration's started."

The Doctor looked back at her hesitantly glancing between Martha and the blonde. "Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life," he told her. "Things don't always happen to me in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own."

Rose snorted while the woman smiled warmly and glanced over at her. "Not with this one you weren't, I'd say," she said.

Both the Doctor and Rose stared at her wide eyed by that statement and said in unison. "Sorry?"

"Oh, my God! Of course," the blonde exclaimed. "You're time travelers. It hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still in your future!"

"What hasn't happened?" the Doctor asked warily. Oh, how he hated running into things out of order.

"Doctor! Rose!" Martha cut in again. "Twenty minutes to red hatching!"

Rose held up a hand and nodded at her before turning back to the woman who smiled in realization to something. "It was me," the blonde said. "Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from _me_!"

"Got what?" Rose asked.

The woman reached into her bag and pulled out a purple folder. "Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969." Rose furrowed her brows while the Doctor pulled a face crossing between indifference to being stuck somewhere and understanding that it was definitely possible. The woman handed him the folder. "Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it."

He took it and stared at it thoughtfully before Martha called out for them again. "Yeah, listen…" he said, pointing down to the end of the street. "Gotta dash_—_things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

"Busy life," Rose added with a small smile.

"Okay. No worries, on you go," the woman said quickly. "See you around, some day."

They turned to run off again before stopping to turn back to the woman. "What was your name?" Rose asked curiously.

"Sally Sparrow," the woman answered.

The Doctor grinned. "Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow."

Before they were about to take off again a young man came out of the store and noticed them. He stared in shock at them as he came over to stand by Sally. The man tried to talk, but continued to stare in awe. Both the Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance at each other then looked back at the man.

"You okay, mate?" Rose asked with a small chuckle.

The man blinked for the first time since he saw them but still couldn't speak. Sally smiled at the man and took his hand. Turning back to face them she said, "Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye Rose. Congratulations to you both, and good luck." With that the two turned and headed back to the shop.

Both the Doctor and Rose stared at them as they left before he placed the folder in his jacket. Of course this wasn't the first time that they'd been mistaken for a married couple, but this seemed to be more than that. Did that mean that they…did he…

A sudden tug on his sleeve brought him back as Martha came up to them and pulled their arms to get them moving. "Hatching, war, lizard," she reminded them.

"Right! Off we go!"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The situation was reaching its peak of chaos once the Klugobbian summoned others of its brethren to pursue the Ulrissi, who also recruited some of their species as well. If that wasn't bad enough the Jaastian guards were close by and ready to arrive and capture the thieves. They needed to end this catastrophe quick before another war broke out on Earth.

_Why's it always on Earth?_ Rose thought to herself. After over two years of this, you'd think she'd already understand that this was the norm, but another thing she's always wondered bugged her more than anything: _why's it always London?_

Coming to an intersection in a street just by a public park the Klugobbians and Ulrissi were swatting each other with their tails and spitting what looked to be thickened slime at each other. Just what Rose wanted_—_more slime. Keeping a safe distance the Doctor instructed the girls on how to use the bows properly when shooting the sedative arrows. Once they took his directions they began to open fire on the reptiles.

The Doctor had mentioned that because some of these creatures appeared to be in teenage states then more shots would need to be used. The girls struggled a bit at first, not quite aiming the shots just right but eventually managed to get used to it and soon went with the flow.

Luckily the Doctor was pretty skilled with a bow and was able to connect an arrow to many of the creatures with ease. One of the shots was precise as it connected with the Ulrissi cradling the eggs. "Don't hit that one too much," he directed. "Too many shots will cause it to fall over and damage the eggs."

One by one the Klugobbians and Ulrissi began to collapse like dominoes as they succumbed to the sedatives. Soon the Jasstian ship hovered over the town and the Doctor inwardly cursed as the Ulrissi carrying the eggs was making a getaway. "We need to give them the eggs. C'mon!" Grabbing Rose's hand not holding her bow, the trio rushed down to the end of the street and into the park.

"Go around that way," Rose told him, pointing in a direction before switching to the opposite side. "Me and Martha'll take that path there and cut it off."

The Doctor was about to protest in regards to their safety, but simply nodded and placed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Be careful."

"You too," she nodded at Martha. "This way." As they headed off in their own direction the Doctor ran his own way, cutting through the trees and dashing up the small hills. The Ulrissi was in sight but it cut back and made a detour down another path_—_heading straight for the girls.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"This is a first," Martha commented as they ran across the grass. "Never hunted lizards before."

"Welcome to our world, Miss Jones," Rose told her. They saw globs of black slime caked on a tree in the distance and knew they were catching up to the creature. Readying themselves with arrows they prepared to shoot the Ulrissi once it came in sight-

And then a large ball of slime flew in the air and nearly hit Rose in the face, connecting with the bark of the tree beside her. "Oh, God. Why does it have to be disgusting slime balls?" she complained.

"It's coming at us, hit it now," Martha said as she shot an arrow.

"Watch the eggs!" Rose told her as she shot one of her own, hitting the creature in the shoulder.

As it came closer the girls came to a stop and began shooting them as fast as they could, but the creature proved to be even stronger than it was, fighting against the drowsiness of the sedatives.

"It's not going down! I've got an idea," Rose said. Taking another arrow from her quiver she kept it in her hand and looked over at Martha. "Wanna give it a shot?"

Without hesitation she did the same. Turning back to face the oncoming creature the girls ran towards it, their arrows ready to strike. Finally reaching the Ulrissi they collided and stabbed the sedatives in its sides, waiting for something to happen…

The creature froze and looked down at the arrows stuck to its body, letting out a sound which could be assumed to be a laugh, then looked back over at them.

"Yeah, maybe that _wasn't_ a good idea after all," Rose said sheepishly.

"It was worth it," Martha told her.

When the girls reached behind for more sedatives they both gasped when they found that they ran out. _Wonderful_.

The Ulrissi screeched as it turned around to whack them with their tails. Just as the girls dodged the attack landing behind bushes, the creature wailed before moaning softly then falling onto its back on the ground. Peeking over the shrubs the girls let out a breath of relief to find the Doctor standing over the creature as it snored, holding up the sonic up in the air.

Martha gave Rose a hug before the latter made her way over to the Doctor. "What a nice hunt," Rose commented as she came out from behind the bush and hugged him. "I never knew you were good at archery," she chuckled when she pulled back.

"Never underestimate my abilities, Rose Tyler. Better than Robin Hood, eh?" He said with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm…"

He nudged her shoulder before giving Martha a hug of her own. "At least the planet won't explode from an alien lizard war."

"We're not done just yet," the Doctor said, releasing her. He bent down to retrieve the eggs and held them delicately in his arms. "I sent a signal to the Jaastian guards to take the Klugobbians and Ulrissi into custody. Now we have to return these little bundles of joy."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Making their way back to the streets they found the Jaastian ship parked in the intersection with the guards taking in the reptilian creatures in various cuffs and carts as they remained asleep from the sedatives. Outside the door from the ship was two large beings also with reptilian skin, but appeared to be more humanoid, in the shade of a pale pink with white wristbands and collars along with black robes, showing off their royalty.

"My Lord," he nodded to the male, then to the female. "My Lady." Kneeling down on one knee, he bowed his head out of respect and honor as he held up their offspring. "Your children are safe."

He lifted his head and stood up when the female took her offspring in her arms, rocking them gently. She made a low screeching sound and nodded.

The Doctor simply bowed and brought the girls over to each of his side. "It was our pleasure. Just a friendly reminder: be sure to keep those little ones close to you. They're very special, and heir to the empire one day."

The male reached forward and took one of his hands and spoke something in their reptilian tongue before brushing its other hand over his hair. He then proceeded to Rose and took her hand as well, brushing her hair and did the same for Martha.

The female, still rocking their offspring, spoke again and the Doctor shook his head. "There's no need to go to the trouble, just take care of your family," he smiled. "You've got a lot of bringing up to do_—_and another word of advice: try to get better security systems."

The monarchs nodded before heading off into their ship and zapped away. The three looked up at the sky as it disappeared from sight. "I've met other royalties," Martha commented.

"Yes you have," the Doctor said. "The Jaastians are one of the most respected and honorable royals, and you've just been blessed by them."

"Wow, that's…amazing."

"Nothing like being knighted by lizards," Rose said lightly. "At least there's _one_ royal family that takes a liking to us."

The Doctor laughed. "That breaks the bad track record."

"You jinxed it now," Martha said.

He tilted his head. "Maybe. Still, was nice for once."

"How could you be able to understand what they were saying?"

Rose groaned. "Oh, Martha, he's gonna boast about that now."

The Doctor just nudged her shoulder as they walked down the street.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Once they made it back into the TARDIS the Doctor leaned against the console and took out the purple folder given to him by one Sally Sparrow. With his specs on he examined the information it contained. Flipping over the papers he came across a transcript, some photos, some words. He arched an eyebrow at the items. These would prove to be useful for their endeavor later on, so he need not worry about it right now.

"Who was that woman earlier?" Martha asked, bringing him out of his findings.

"Dunno yet," he answered truthfully, shuffling everything back into the folder and sticking it back in his pocket. "Someone from our future apparently."

"You two have a habit of running into things at the wrong times," Martha said with a smile.

"Something to look forward to, yeah?" Rose asked, sitting on the jump seat.

"I suppose so. But if we end up stuck somewhere, then I'm not really looking forward to _that."_

"Yeah, but being stuck with you_—_" she said with a nose scrunch. "That's not so bad."

He glanced up at her at those familiar words and grinned. That was true. As long as they were together than it would be tolerable_—_up to a point before he starts sonicing everything around him out of impatience. But the thing that struck them the most was the statement Sally had made about marriage. Did that mean he…it couldn't have been a human marriage, for sure. No offense. But…obviously something happened. Well, _will_ happen. Maybe he gave in to himself and allowed it to come out.

Maybe it was the equivalent to marriage he had long since craved for, the one that was frightening him even now and he hadn't even initiated it. Was that it?

That was something exciting albeit still terrifying, but it wasn't happening just yet, so he still had time. Both of them did.


	25. 42 Part 1

**A/N: ****This chapter was partly rushed cause…well, honestly I type these up ahead of time and I was behind on my schedule. ****Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and faved! I love your feedback. And to the guest reviewers, while I can't reply directly to you, just know that your feedback is equally appreciated ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 25: 42 Part 1**_

After the escapades with the lizards the Doctor treated the ladies to a relaxing movie marathon in the media room. He suggested _The Muppet Movie,_ but both of them preferred something else instead. They wound up picking up with the _Harry Potter_ franchise from where they left off. Martha was perfectly fine with the choice since she's seen all of the previous ones already, and Rose slipped in the next one: _the Goblet of Fire._

As the three of them sat on the comfy couch_—_Rose leaning on the Doctor's chest_—_the girls couldn't help but laugh out loud when they realized how much the Doctor resembled the actor who played Barty Crouch Jr. Of course he immediately denied it and stressed that he had looked _nothing_ like the man, but both Martha and Rose kept insisting that he did. When Rose mentioned that the man was handsome though, the Doctor seemed to change his mind and straightened his tie at the compliment.

After the movie finished the Doctor decided to take the girls to the place he had meant to take them to in the first place. It was a tropical planet called Ember Grove III, the largest field of vibrant flowers that can create a soothing and melodic tune just by a single touch. It also was known to have the greatest lemonade known to the universe, so how can they not have some of that?

Once the girls stepped out of the TARDIS they were immediately greeted with a warm breeze and a sweet combined essence of lemons and and honey. As far as their eyes could see was a vast, open field of various plants and flowers vivid with equally warm colors. Small stands appeared at the far end of the field with items to sell and serve. The Doctor informed them that the main rule in this area was to remove any footwear as not to disturb the foilage.

Doing so both Martha and Rose ran out barefoot onto the field letting the warm but soothing breeze blow through their hair. The Doctor stood at the door of the TARDIS and watched as they ran carefree with the wind, spreading their arms out wide as if they were trying to fly. He couldn't help but appreciate how the sunlight reflected off of the equal brightness of Rose's waves. She truly did burn like the Sun and showed off her golden glow, shining it wherever she went.

Toeing off his trainers he caught up with them and came up behind both girls and tackled them to the ground in a section of red flowers that smelled like strawberries. After laughing like a bunch of loons, he urged the girls to pick off a couple of them to hear what melody comes out from them.

Martha picked one up and lit up when a calming tune resembling that of a flute's emitted from its core. When Rose picked one of her own a soft humming sound almost matching that of the TARDIS came out. They both chuckled at the result. It was appropriate since those two were connected, giving off a beautiful sound to calm those around them.

After a few more moments of laying back in the bed of flowers and basking in the sunlight, the three walked over to one of the stands and purchased some of the lemonade. The Doctor wasn't lying when he said this was the best lemonade. It wasn't too sour and not too sweet_—_it was just right, and made the kinds back on Earth a poor comparison.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"It was nice to be somewhere warm for once," Rose commented on the way back to the TARDIS.

"We're not always in cold places," the Doctor told her.

"No, but we're not always in warm ones either."

He scoffed as he made his way around the console while Martha sat down on the jump seat. "Those flowers were beautiful. Reminded me of when I used to run across the fields when I was little," she said in wonder before frowning.

Rose noticed her change in mood and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I just miss Mum and Tish, that's all. I wish I can talk with them once in a while."

"We can fix that," Rose said lightly. "You have your phone?" Martha nodded and reached into her pocket and handed it out to her. "Doctor, wanna help out Martha with some jiggery pokery?"

"Hm?" He hummed before exclaiming. "Oh, of course!" He turned around and took the phone from her and flipped it open. Grabbing the sonic he began to work on advancing her mobile. "How could I have forgotten?"

"Like you always say: too many things running around in that big head of yours," Rose answered.

He glanced up at her as he continued working on her phone before shutting it and cheering, "There we go! Universal Roaming," he tossed the phone back to Martha and pocketed the sonic. "Never have to worry about a signal again."

Flipping her phone open, she saw the screen say _**'Universal Roaming Activated.'**_ He face lit up. "No way. But it's…too _mad!_ You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?"

He smiled. "Long as you know the area code. Frequent Flyers' privilege."

"Welcome to the club," Rose commented as she took out her own mobile and held it out to her before putting it back in her pocket. "Go on, try it out."

Just as she was about to test out her new advanced mobile, the TARDIS jerked violently and nearly grounded the three of them to the grating. The Doctor moved the monitor over to peer at it. "Distress signal! Locking on!" he shouted. "Hold on, girls, might be a bit of-"

Another jolt cut him off as the three were sent flying to the ground. "Turbulence," Rose finished.

"Yeah. Ow," the Doctor said before pulling himself off of the floor, holding a hand out for both girls. "You two alright?"

"For the most part," Martha told him as she stood.

"Sorry about that. Ah, well, come on," he spun around and dashed to the door. "Let's take a look!" The girls were right behind him as he stepped outside and was greeted with a surge of suffocating heat and steam. "Whoa! Now that is hot!"

"It's like a sauna in here!" Martha cried as she shed off her jacket and tossed it into the TARDIS.

"I like the heat and everything, but this is almost unbearable," Rose commented as she discarded her long sleeved shirt and threw it in the TARDIS with Martha's jacket, leaving her in a thin sleeveless top.

"Little bit of heat won't hurt," the Doctor commented as he examined the equipment off to the side on the wall. "You're usually always up for it."

"Not to the point where I can't breathe," she said, adjusting her top.

He looked around again. "Venting systems," he said. "Working at full pelt, trying to cool down wherever it is we are."

"Now you know that's bad if the vents aren't working," Rose said, wiping her forehead. Oddly enough_—_well, probably not that much_—_she felt a chill run through her body, and that's never a good sign.

A door with a wheel was on the side. "Well, if you can't stand the heat…" Spinning the wheel the Doctor opened the door and stepped through.

"Oh God, that's so much better," Rose commented as the air, while still hot, wasn't as smothering and felt a little cooler against her already sweaty skin.

Not even a second upon entering the new area two men and a woman came running towards them. "Oi! You three!" one of the men yelled.

"Get out of there!" the woman shouted.

"Seal that door, now!" Both men rushed over and shut the door behind them tight.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" the woman demanded.

"Are you police?" the younger man asked.

The Doctor furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would we be police?"

"We got your distress signal," Rose explained.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked, glancing around the area.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman told them.

The older man rolled his eyes. "So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering…Captain," he added with a little sneer.

_**"Secure closure active,"**_ a computerized voice rang out followed by a loud pang.

"What?" the woman asked.

"The ship's gone mad," the older man said.

Another woman rushed into the room and slammed the door shut behind her. "Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked in Area 27!" She cried before looking confused when she noticed the travelers. "Who are you?"

Martha answered for them since the others looked concerned. "He's the Doctor, she's Rose and I'm Martha," she introduced before her eye caught something distractedly. "Hello."

Rose noticed Martha suddenly walk slowly away to a small window. Clearly there was something interesting outside and she was curious to know what exactly was out there too, but they still didn't know about this crew and their situation. "And you are?" she asked.

"Kath McDonnell," the woman replied before gesturing to the other members in order from the older man, the younger man, and the other woman. "And that's Scannell, Riley, and Erina."

_**"Impact projection: 42 minutes."**_

"We'll get out of this, I promise," McDonnell said.

Rose nodded before following Martha towards the window. A golden light shone through, pouring into the area the closer she came to it. The moment she stood beside Martha her breath hitched as another chill shot down her spine when she gazed at the view in front of them. "Doctor," she called.

The Doctor hadn't registered her call for him and asked the captain. "Forty-two minutes 'til what?"

"Doctor!" Martha cried. "Look!"

Running over to the girls he peered over Rose's head and immediately sensed her discomfort, and he could easily see why. Placing a hand on her shoulder he froze up inside at the approaching object, slowly coming closer and closer and making him feel more uncomfortable.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," McDonnell said.

Oh, this isn't good. In a flash the Doctor turned and ran back over to the captain. "How many crew members on board?" he asked quickly.

"Seven, including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," Scannell spoke. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship…"

"Call the others, I'll get you out!" The Doctor rushed over to the door they came through.

"What's he doing?" Riley yelled.

"No! Don't!" McDonnell yelled as the other crew members ran over to stop him before he opened the door.

But he already turned the wheel and pulled it open only to be taken aback by an even larger wave of heat, making him cry out at the sudden steam. Rose and Martha immediately went over to him just as Erina came over to the door wearing protective gear and sealed it shut. "But my ship's in there!" the Doctor shouted as he shook himself off.

"In the _vent chamber_?" Riley asked.

"It's our lifeboat."

"It's lava," Scannell told him.

Taking off her gear Erina studied the dials on the wall beside the door. "The temperature's going mad in there. Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channeling the air," Riley said. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here," Martha said irritably.

Rose shook her head. "Not the first time we were stuck without the TARDIS," she commented quietly. At least they weren't outside of a black hole that could have sucked them in at any moment like last time…though crashing into a blazing sun isn't really that much better and any less dangerous. Still, it could be worse, right?

The Doctor tilted his head. "So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun - simple!" He turned to McDonnell. "Engineering's down here, is it?"

She nodded. "Yeah." With that he took off down the corridor with the others following.

_**"Impact in 40:26."**_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Making his way down to the engineering room he skidded to a stop and glanced around the area. "Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh, my God!" McDonnell cried when she saw the state of the room.

Walking over to the engine they examined it as smoke and steam poured out with bits of wire and springs were destroyed.

"What the hell happened?" Scannell asked.

"Oh, it's wrecked," Riley said.

The Doctor took out his specs to study it more. "Pretty efficiently too. Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" McDonnell asked urgently. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell said with a shake of his head.

McDonnell ran over to the intercom on the wall. "Korwin, Ashton? Where are you? Where the hell is he? He's supposed to be down here."

Rose twitched inside. An engine is suddenly totalled and torn apart and two of the crew members are missing. Coincidence? She thought not. If she wasn't already twitchy about landing on this ship, then that fact would have pushed it.

Moving closer to the Doctor she tapped him in the side as he studied a monitor. "Two crew members are suddenly missing after an engine's destroyed? If that's not bad enough," she whispered. "We shouldn't trust these people."

His jaw stiffened. "I know, just keep a close eye on them. But that's not the only problem." He swallowed and rubbed his eyes underneath the rim of his specs. "We're stranded…_again_. I've trapped you and Martha here."

She patted his arm. "We'll work this out, we always do. This isn't like the last time. At least the TARDIS is still onboard and not drifting away into space. She'll be fine, She can survive anything." He looked over at her with a regretful look and she squeezed his arm for reassurance. "Could be worse, yeah?"

"I suppose so, but never say that," he said with a faint smirk. Turning his head to observe the crew for a second before scanning what the monitor showed and stood. "Oh, we're in the Torajji system! Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha snapped.

Rose moved over to their friend and put a comforting hand on her arm. "We'll fix this Martha," she said softly. "I promise."

She shrugged as the Doctor walked over to the captain. "And you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

McDonnell hesitated for a moment then dismissed his question and moved past him. "We're due to upgrade next docking." The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance as the woman went over to the older man. "Scannell, engine report."

"No response," he told her.

"What?"

"They're burnt out, the controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Right, so, repairing the engines isn't going to happen anytime soon," the Doctor said. "What else have we got?"

"What about a back-up engine?" Rose suggested.

The Doctor turned and smiled at her. "Exactly! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries," he exclaimed.

McDonnell shook her head. "We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell added. "You'll never get there in time."

Rose rolled her eyes while Martha asked. "Can't you override the doors?"

"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlock sealed."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "So a sonic screwdriver's no use," he muttered.

"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

Rose snorted. "Oh, my God, listen to yourself! How can you give up so quickly?"

The Doctor nodded and stood beside her and stared at the man with disappointment. "Defeated before you've even started! Honestly, where's your Dunkirk spirit?" He turned to McDonnell again. "Who's got the door passwords?"

Riley answered for her. "They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashtee," he clarified.

"Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashtee?" the Doctor asked as he put himself in command. "Get on it."

"Well, it's a two person job - one to answer the questions, and the other to carry this," he retrieved a backpack and put it on and lifted up a magnetic clamp, looking over to McDonnell. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, captain?"

She smiled. "Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?"

"Try and be helpful, get abuse," he chuckled. "Nice!"

Martha stepped forward and took the clamp from his hands. "I'll help you. Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel," Riley told her. "That's why it needs two."

She nodded as they walked off together. "Oi!" Both the Doctor and Rose called after her.

Turning back to face them, the Doctor told her, "Be careful."

"You too," she said, flitting her eyes between them and pointing a finger. "Both of you."

Just as the two walked away a voice came over the intercom._**"McDonnell, it's Ashton."**_

At the sound of her name, the captain ran over to the intercom and answered quickly, "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

_**"Get up to the med-center now!"**_ Ashton hollered.

Without hesitation McDonnell ran to said room. Both the Doctor and Rose shared a quick glance before grabbing a hold of each other's hands and catching up to the woman.

Just behind them they heard the computerized voice announce. _**"Impact in 34:31."**_

Running down the corridor Rose shivered inside again, contrasting with the walls of suffocating heat rising on the ship. Something odd and serious was definitely wrong with this whole situation and it made her skin crawl. When she caught a glimpse of the approaching sun she felt an odd feeling in her mind, like a little tug. Whatever it was, she didn't like it one bit.

Finally making it to the room they saw a bed in a tube shaped chamber occupied by a man thrashing around in agony as another man and a womanstood over him, trying their hardest to keep him contained.

"Argh! Stop it!" the man groaned fighting against the others around him.

"Korwin, it's Abi!" the woman told him "Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you!"

McDonnell rushed over to them and cried. "Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?"

"Oh, Kath! Help me!" Korwin pleaded before shouting, "IT'S BURNING ME!"

Rose inwardly gasped as a haunting whisper ghosted in her ears, speaking words that seemed all too familiar: _Burn with me._

The Doctor felt her tense up and squeezed her hand. "Stay back," he told her before stepping up to the man with the sonic in his hand. "How long's he been like this?"

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi said eyeing the Doctor as he began to scan Korwin's body then flinched when the man cried out in pain again.

"What are you doing?" McDonnell demanded stepping up to them.

Rose leaned forward and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Don't get too close," she warned.

The woman defied her as she shook her arm away from her grasp. "Don't be so stupid, that's my husband!" She rushed over to the head of the bed, watching over him.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton snapped.

"What?"

"He went mad. He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way!" McDonnell said in denial. "He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain," Ashton insisted seriously.

Putting away the sonic, the Doctor gently addressed the man in distress. "Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

The man convulsed. "I can't!"

"Yeah, of course you can," the Doctor said calmly. "Go on."

"Don't make me look at you! Please!"

"Alright, alright, alright. Just relax." Carefully moving away from the bed, the Doctor picked up a small syringe from the medical tray. He held it up to Abi and asked. "Sedative?" When the woman nodded in confirmation, he leaned over and inserted it into Korwin's neck. The man cried out in pain and thrashed again until he stilled then silenced.

Pulling the syringe out of the man, the Doctor placed it back on the tray. Rose stepped over cautiously to stand at the edge of the bed next to him. "Doctor, what's wrong with him?"

Taking a deep breath he wiped the sweat from his forehead and crossed his arms. "Some sort of infection. Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings…" he glanced over briefly to the chamber itself. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber." He turned to Abi. "Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi told him as she worked.

Rose smiled at the woman. "Nice. You're good."

"Oh yes, you are. I'll give you that," the Doctor agreed. "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

Abi shook her head. "Not so far."

"Well, that's something, yeah?" Rose said gently, looking over at the Doctor who simply nodded, his jaw stiff. She knew that look. The last thing they needed was an outbreak of some kind of infection to add to the already chaotic epidemic of this ship's situation.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked frantically.

"Some sort of infection," Rose told her gently.

"We'll know more after the test results," the Doctor added before gesturing to the end of the corridor. "Now, allons-y. Back downstairs." He turned to Ashton. "Eh! See about those engines. Go," he told them.

Ashton followed the Doctor's orders and turned to leave. McDonnell, however, didn't appear to want to leave her husband in his time of distress. Rose walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Just go," she said calmly. "There's nothing you can do right now. Just relax."

The captain was hesitant to leave but nodded. Taking one last glance at her husband she turned away and made her leave quietly.

When Rose turned around she found the Doctor standing right behind her with a soft smile on his face. "What?"

"That's another reason why I need you around," he said. "You're the _kind _one."

"Obviously since you're the _rude_ one," she teased lightly.

He nodded and shrugged. "That I am." He threw an arm around her shoulders and began to walk out of the room until he turned back to Abi. "Call us if there's news. Any questions?"

The woman chuckled. "Yeah. Who are you two?"

"I'm the Doctor," he answered with a grin.

Rose patted his chest. "And I'm Rose Tyler."

"Abi Lerner," the woman clarified before they headed down the corridor.

As they walked, they heard the computerized voice once again.

_**"Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32:50."**_

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Making it back to the engineering room, the Doctor began to sift through the wreckage that was left of the torn up engine. Rose was also helping as she searched for any unbroken parts that could be used in repairs. Whatever was spreading through this ship was making its rounds, and he scolded himself for trapping the girls in such a place.

_Déj__à Vu_, he thought.

This was Krop Tor all over again, and he swore he would never allow them to get stuck anywhere after that. But of course, he did anyway. And apparently some time in the future they would get stuck in 1969_—_like he was looking forward to _that._ Although he _greatly_ disliked the idea and incident of being stranded in one place and in one time, he'd rather be stuck on Earth than on a ship preparing to crash into a burning sun.

That's saying something.

But he had to keep his focus on the situation at hand right now. Any of the people onboard could be susceptible to this infection…whatever it is, and he needed to prevent it from spreading any further. But he needed more information.

As the computerized voice kept announcing the amount of time until impact, he ran over to the intercom and called out for the young woman in the med-center. "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?"

_**"He's under heavy sedation,"**_ she answered. _**"I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."**_

"Some good news," Rose commented from where she continued searching.

Nodding in satisfaction he switched the dial. "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

_**"Area 29, at the door to 28,"**_ Martha answered.

He licked his lips impatiently. That wasn't good enough at the moment. "Yeah, you've gotta move faster," he told her urgently.

_**"We're doing our best!"**_

Inwardly sighing he left the intercom on so they could still communicate with each other while he moved back over to the engine and resumed his work.

"Calm down, Doctor," Rose told him gently. "They're doing all that they could."

He nodded. "I know, but-"

Riley cut him off over the intercom. "_**Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367…"**_ he paused for a second. _**"What?"**_

_**"You said the crew knew all the answers!"** _Martha said.

_**"The crew's changed since we set the questions,"** _he said sheepishly.

Martha sighed. _**"You're joking."**_

The Doctor ran over to the intercom to give them the answer. "379!"

_**"What?"** _Martha asked.

"It's a sequence of happy primes," he explained. "379."

_**"Happy what?"**_

"Just enter it!"

_**"Are you sure?"**_ Riley interjected. _**"We only get one chance."**_

The Doctor growled low with impatience before taking a deep breath to further explain in a rapid lecture mode. "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in!" He shouted with annoyance.

"Wonderful lesson once again, teacher," Rose commented from the side.

He turned to her and shook his head. "I dunno, talk about dumbing down!" He exasperated. "Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Not in that way, I'd guess."

He snorted at her just as Martha exclaimed through the com. _**"We're through!"**_

"Keep moving, fast as you can," he said quickly before adding seriously. "And, Martha…be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

_**"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free,"** _she commented.

He nodded and smiled lightly. "Will do, thanks."


	26. 42 Part 2

**A/N: I**** couldn't resist putting in those certain music references. I had others, but I settled on a couple. ****Much love to all of the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You guys make my day even brighter :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 26: 42 Part 2**_

_**"Impact in 30:50."**_

The Doctor growled in irritation at the computerized voice as he continued to work, looking like he was resisting the urge to bang his head against the wall. Just watching him move around with his suit on was making Rose feel even more uncomfortable than she already was. He may have a cooler body temperature but the heat was rising more and more on this ship to the point where he'd definitely be affected.

From where she sat on the ground fumbling through the many tangled up wires and torn up pieces of machinery, she could see his forehead shining with with sweat. Surprisingly, though_—_or maybe not that much_—_he was moving around as he normally did with no uneasiness.

She was expecting him to boast about his 'superior Time Lord physiology,' but given the severity of this situation, he'd probably do it all later when this was all fixed.

Wiping her own forehead with her arm proved to be ineffective as her entire body was soaked, much like her top. "I can't stand this heat," she said as she stood up. Luckily she had another top on underneath.

Out of the corner of his eye the Doctor caught sight of Rose planning to discard her sleeveless top. Ultimately stopping what he was doing he swallowed once she reached for the hem of her shirt and raised it over her head before tossing it to the side, leaving her standing only in a thin white tank top. The fabric of the shirt clung to her body as a result of the rising heat, her skin glistening in the orange light of the room.

His eyes widened when he saw her grab the hem of the tank top next. She couldn't possibly have any more shirts on under_—_

He finally breathed when all she did was pull it away from her stomach to fan herself for a moment, giving him a small glimpse of the smooth and shiny skin of her belly before letting it fall back down. A bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead then to his brow before lingering on his eyelid. Not even bothering to wipe it away he just kept his gaze on Rose.

How can someone look so beautiful in this predicament? Well, if anyone could accomplish it, it'd be her.

"Enjoying the show, are ya?"

"Huh?" His gaze shot up at the sound of Rose's voice causing him to finally blink as the sweatdrop burned his eye. He rubbed it with his finger under the rim of his specs. "Oh, I, um, no…I wasn't…er…" _Rassilon, help him._

Rose just smiled at his stammering and inwardly blushed. While she still felt a little embarrassed by the intimate gesture she initiated the other night, she couldn't help but still feel appreciated by him in ways like this. She had to admit that he was glowing in this heat as well, and it was a_very_ nice sight.

"So, how's everything over there? What do we need?" she asked, bringing her mind back to the present.

In a flash he snapped back into the current situation along with her. "We need a back-up in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," he told her before thrusting a hand in his hair. "Come on, think. Resources_—_what have we got?"

_**"Doctor?"**_ Martha's voice suddenly came over the intercom.

He sighed in frustration. "What is it now?"

_**"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles? That's pre-download."**_

"Elvis," he answered confidently at the exact same time Rose answered, "the Beatles," also with confidence.

They both stared at each other with arched brows. "Rose, I'm certain that it's the King," he assured.

"Really? I don't know about that," she replied.

_**"Guys, you'll have to make up your minds if you want us to hurry up," **_Martha said quickly.

"Doctor, me and Mum used to watch those trivia game shows," Rose explained. "These kind of questions are common. I think it's the Beatles."

"While I don't doubt your confidence in pop culture topics, I'm certain it's Elvis," he insisted before giving it another thought. "No! The Beatles! No! Wait!" His face twisted and his mind raced as he went over every song recorded on the artists' discography. Making a frustrated noise he slapped the back of his head. "Argh! Was that a remix? Um…I don't know! I am a bit busy!" He called out.

_**"Fine, I'll ask someone else!"**_ Martha called back, sounding a little irritated as well.

"Martha, use your phone!" Rose suggested before they clicked off. "If I'm right, you owe me five quid," she teased.

The Doctor whipped around. "What? Rose, not now! Now, where was I? '_Here Comes the Sun'_." He slapped his head again. "No, resources."

"Need some 'help?_'_" She said with a smile.

"Yes, I w_—_" he paused when he realized what she was doing. "Rose_—_"

"Okay, okay, I'll 'let it be'."

He looked at her pointedly before smirking. "Very clever of you. Now back to the resources_—_what've we got?"

"The power's still working," she pointed out. "And the generator's going."

"Right! If we can harness that…Ah!" He dashed over and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Brilliant!"

McDonnell came over to them after hearing their cheers and caught on to what they were thinking. "Use the generator to jump-start the ship," she said in realization.

"Exactly! At the very least it should buy us some time."

McDonnell nodded with an impressed look. "That…_is_ brilliant."

"I know, right?" Rose cheered.

"See! Tiny glimmer of hope!" the Doctor cried happily. That's all they needed right now_—_hope.

"If it works," a doubtful Scannell cut in.

Rose rolled her eyes. This man gave up too fast. Even at the beginning he was hopeless, and he was downgrading the positive mood. "Are you immune to optimism or something?"

The man just arched a brow and shrugged. "What? There's still a chance that this can't possibly work."

"But there's a chance that it _will_," she stressed.

McDonnell nodded and assured him. "Oh, believe me, you're gonna _make _it work."

The Doctor flitted his gaze between both women with such respect and lingered more on Rose. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled proudly. Dejectedly Scannell walked away with his head hung low and he chuckled. "That told him!"

"Good!" Rose said with a laugh.

"Even when people don't believe in it, there's always hope."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

_**"Impact in 28:50."**_

Rose groaned not only because of the continuous annoying computerized alerts, but also at how much the heat kept rising the closer the ship drifted towards the sun. She couldn't wait until this whole dilemma was fixed and over with so she could dash into the TARDIS and have a nice cold shower.

They each resumed their hard work at harnessing the power of the generator when the intercom clicked on. _**"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me,"**_ Abi reported.

The Doctor immediately stopped what he was doing ran over to the com. "What do you mean?"

_**"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make-up, it…it's impossible."**_ She paused. The Doctor furrowed his brows at the sudden silence on the other end. Just as he was about to question her again, her voice called out full of panic as it carried through the entire ship. _**"This is med-center. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"**_

The Doctor turned away with concern and took off before addressing the others. "Stay here! Keep working!"

Rose looked at the others apologetically. They didn't know what this infection really was that was spreading, but she didn't want to leave the Doctor alone with the man infected. "We'll be right back."

As she followed him she could hear faint footsteps in the distance behind her. No doubt it was McDonnell and Scannell catching up, but they were soon drowned out when that cold whisper echoed in her ears again. _Burn with me. Burn with me. Burn with me. _She groaned as the whisper grew even louder. _Burn with me!_

Coming to a stop she raised her hands to her ears and cried. "Get out of my head!"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor dashed through the corridors to get to the med-center as quickly as possible as the voices of the crew members echoed across the ship from the intercom.

_**"Urgent assistance!" **_Abi called again.

_**"Abi, they're on their way,"**_ Erina replied.

_**"What's happening to you?"**_ Abi asked fearfully on her end. This wasn't good. Some more hope was necessary at the moment.

Then a familiar cry got the Doctor's attention as he skidded to a stop and whipped his head around to find its source. "Rose?"

He noticed that she was following him at a distance but she seemed to be disturbed by something and remained still in her spot. He ran over to her and grabbed her arms.

"I told you to stay back there! What's wrong?" When she shook her head he gently lowered her arms from her ears. "What is it?"

"There's this…whisper…"

Before he could question her any further a deep gravelly voice echoed through the ship. _**"Burn with me."**_

Both the Doctor and Rose shuddered at those words. He heard those exact same words in his last nightmare_—_words spoken by Rose. Was that what she heard in her mind?

Grabbing her hand they began to run to the room again only to stop when he heard closer footsteps behind them along with a voice. "Captain?" It was Scannel who was right behind McDonnell.

"I told you to stay in Engineering, too!" the Doctor told him.

"I only take orders form one person 'round here," Scannell told him as he walked past them.

"Oh, is he always this cheery?"

Rose snorted. "Just what we need, another chief dramatist."

He smirked at her reply before she gasped when the voice came over the ship again. _**"Burn with me."**_

_**"K-Korwin, you're sick…"**_ Abi said, her fear clearly visible through the comm.

_**"Burn. With. Me!"**_

The voice repeated, sounding impossibly more sinister. A second later painful and terrifying screams screeched through the connection, echoing throughout the entire ship and ringing in everyone's ears. For what seemed like forever they finally silenced.

_**"Doctor?"**_ Martha's voice called after a moment. _**"What were those screams?"**_

"Concentrate on those doors!" the Doctor yelled as he pulled Rose along with him. "You've gotta keep moving forward!"

_**"Impact in 27:06."**_

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

_Burn with me._

Rose shook her head at the words that continued to echo in her mind. What had started out as a chilling whisper turned into a pounding clamor causing her head to ache. The Doctor sensed her discomfort and gave her hand an occasional squeeze. He shivered at the mention of those words as well, so this situation was worsening with every second that ticked by as they were closer coming into contact with the sun.

Finally they made it to the med-center and found that the stasis chamber was unoccupied and Abi was nowhere to be seen. "Korwin's gone," McDonnell said.

Looking around for any clues Rose felt another chill shoot through her and she discovered why. She gasped and tapped the Doctor's arm to get his attention. "Doctor…"

He, along with the others, turned in her direction with widened eyes. On the wall was a burnt silhouette of a human body charred thick with black ash. The Doctor moved closer for a better examination.

"Oh, my God," Scannell breathed out. "Tell me that's not Lerner…"

"Endothermic vaporization," the Doctor declared. "I've never seen one this ferocious." He glanced over to Rose as they both said in unison quietly, "Burn with me."

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell pointed out.

"What?" McDonnell said in shock. "Do you think…? No way!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true," Rose said calmly.

The captain shook her head in denial. "No! He wouldn't do that!" She turned to Scannell. "Scannell, tell them! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people, he's human!"

The Doctor moved over when he noticed the test results that Abi had been checking on before her unfortunate death. "His bio-scan results…" he muttered as he looked them over with widened eyes. "Internal temperature: one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen. Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed."

McDonnell came forward and snatched the results from his hands. "The test results are wrong!"

"But what is it, though?" the Doctor said, his hand thrusting in his hair as he thought. "A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" the captain cried angrily.

Rose stepped over to her and placed a comforting hand to her arm. "We know you're upset, and we're sorry," she said gently. "But the situation is getting worse."

"Where's the ship been?" The Doctor interjected. "Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

The woman shook her head. "What is this, an interrogation?"

"No, that's not what this is," Rose said. "We need to figure out exactly what infected your husband before it spreads to the others."

The Doctor stood beside Rose and nodded. "She's right. Whatever this thing is, it's on the loose and making its rounds. We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just…a cargo ship," she told them before turning away from them.

Scannell looked at the Doctor and Rose. "If you both could just give her a minute," he said with annoyance.

"I'm fine. I need to warn the crew," McDonnell assured before moving to the intercom. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think…" she paused for a second. "We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

_**"Understood, Captain,"**_ Ashton responded. _**"Erina? Get back here with that equipment."**_

_**"Impact in 24:51."**_

The captain walked away from the comm and sat down beside the Doctor and Rose, who were still studying the test results. "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?"

Rose looked over to the Doctor who hesitated before answering. "I dunno," he said.

He did know. He just didn't want to admit it to this poor woman. "Don't lie to me, Doctor," McDonnell said firmly. "Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."

Taking a deep breath the Doctor told her the truth. "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back, I'm sorry."

The woman took the information and nodded. "Thank you."

Glancing up at her, he moved closer to ask calmly, "Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship," she assured. "I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

Rose studied the captain. Earlier when they arrived on this ship she was leary with the crew members and couldn't get herself to really trust them. But at the moment she believed this woman. She had just lost her husband to this mysterious infection and she was undoubtedly distraught. What else could she do but be honest?

Still though, Rose was curious to know something much like the Doctor. "Then why is this thing so interested in you?" she asked.

McDonnell shrugged and shook her head. "I wish I knew."

_**"Doctor, we're through to Area 17,"**_ Martha called out from the intercom.

"Keep going," he called back. "You've gotta get to Area 1 and reboot those engines."

_**"Heat shield failing. At twenty percent."**_

Remaining in the med-center the Doctor leaned against the bed in the stasis chamber and continued to study the results and try to make some kind of connection to all of this. Korwin was infected and he destroyed the controls causing the ship to fall into the sun. But why? He could've just killed these people in a second, so why crash the ship and delay it?

"We must share the light."

His head shot up at the faint whisper said by Rose. "What was that?"

She shook her head. "What?"

"You just said 'we must share the light,'" he repeated.

"Oh. Sorry. I keep hearing these strange whispers," she told him.

He studied her. Earlier she told him that she had heard whispers in her mind. Though she hadn't repeated them he had a vague idea of what she had heard: _Burn with me._ But now she heard something else: _We must share the light. _What did that mean?

Placing the results down to the side the Doctor lightly touched Rose's arm as he quickly stood. "Come on, let's head back to the engineering room. We have to jump-start this ship as soon as possible."

He motioned for the others to join them when the intercom clicked on, stopping them in their tracks as he inwardly cursed. _**"Doctor!"**_ It was Martha, and by the sound of her voice, it was really bad. _**"We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!"**_

The Doctor growled in frustration while Rose groaned, "Oh, God."

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked.

Finding a diagram for the quickest route to the designated area the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and headed down the corridor, ordering to the others over his shoulder, "You two, stay here! I mean it this time! Jump-start those engines!"

Tearing through the twisting corridors and forgotten wires tangled on the floor they hurried to get to Martha. This is was horrible, worse than a nightmare. "Doctor, what if whoever's activated the escape pod is infected?" Rose asked.

"Don't come into contact with them," he answered. "Just stay behind me. I'm not letting you out of my sight right now."

Finally reaching the door to Area 17 Rose gasped when she saw a figure wearing the same wielding gear that Korwin had worn, standing front of a control panel. "Ashton," she breathed out.

"That's enough!" the Doctor shouted. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

As a response Ashton growled and slammed a fist into the control panel, causing sparks to fly from it. Turning away he faced them and took a few more steps toward them.

The Doctor kept Rose behind him as he took a few steps of his own, coming within inches of the man's helmet until they were almost nose to nose. "Come on. Let's see you," he taunted. "I want to know what you really are."

Rose gripped his arm from behind as Ashton raised a hand to his visor. _We must share the light._ Her breath hitched at the whisper, but then Ashton suddenly dropped his hand and doubled over in pain. After a few seconds he straightened himself up and walked right by them as if he were mechanical.

"What the hell was that about?" Rose asked in confusion. "Why didn't he attack?"

"Just be glad he didn't," the Doctor replied with a shake of his head before clicking the intercom on. "McDonnell? Ashton's headed in your direction. He's been infected!" he warned. "Any sign of Korwin?"

_**"Korwin's dead, Doctor," **_Scannell reported.

The Doctor closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Deaths were never acceptable, but the man had no chance of returning back to normal, so it was a given. The good in all of this however was that there was one less infected person onboard, and the other had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"Martha!" Rose hollered as she looked out of the window.

Springing into action the Doctor went over to the destroyed control panel in an attempt to fix it, but it was no use.

_**"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod,"**_ said the computerized voice

"Doctor, she's out there," Rose said with a shaky voice.

Raising his head he moved beside her to peer out of the window to watch the pod drifting away and Martha pound against the door for help. "I'll save you!" he shouted desperately, hoping that she could make out his words through the door. "I'll save you!"

_**"Impact in 17:05."**_

Growling out of frustration once again at the alert the Doctor spun away from the door and paced around, trying to come up with a plan.

"Doctor, what're we gonna do?" Rose asked quietly.

Scrubbing a hand down his face he thought hard until an idea came to him, and of course he knew how Rose would react, but it was worth a shot. He stopped pacing and glanced over at her for a moment before turning quickly to the intercom. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in Area 17, now!"

_**"What for?"**_

"Just get down here!" he yelled.

The tension radiating off of him was intense. Rose had that feeling again and had a good idea of what he was planning. "Doctor, you can't go out there!"

"I've got to," he stressed as he began to pace again.

She slapped her hands on her thighs. "Here we go again. You and your suicidal methods!"

"It's the only way!" He retorted.

"You'll burn!"

He whipped around to face her with a nasty glare. "It's the risk I'm willing to take! I'm not letting her crash into the sun," he snapped, jabbing his finger in the air.

"I don't want that to happen either!" Rose yelled back. "But I'm not gonna let you go out there! What if it doesn't work?" she challenged.

"Don't," he warned.

"Why? I'm not losing _both_ of you in the process!"

"You won't," he stressed seriously. Taking a deep breath he ran a hand down his hair. "If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should re-magnetize the pod," he explained in a calmer tone.

Rose shook her head. "But the sun rays_—_"

"The ship's shields will protect me from any severe damage," he told her as she lowered her head.

As always she had every right to be upset with him. After all, he swore that he'd try to come up with better plans, but as he was constantly in the spur of the moment of hysteria in bad situations it was the risks he was willing to take to protect the people around him. Noticing her annoyance he placed two fingers under her chin to tilt her face back up to meet his.

"It'll only be for a few minutes_—_five at the most. Then I come right back in, that's all."

She bit her lip. "Are you sure it'll work?"

He swallowed and arched an eyebrow. "It has to." He took his hand off of her chin to gently nudge her nose with the back of his forefinger before cupping the side of her face, offering a faint lopsided grin.

Rose let out a sigh in defeat. This bloody alien. Apparently that slap across his face should've been a lot harder to be a better reminder to cease him of his ridiculous suicidal methods. And he calls _her_ stubborn. But…she did always trust him, no matter how daft and dangerous his plans were. She was still against it, but apparently there was no other choice.

Scannell came in with an orange-red spacesuit, which the Doctor immediately threw on as he explained his plan. "I can't let you do this," the man told him sternly.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't even bother, Scannell. No matter what you say to him, he's gonna do it anyway."

"You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that!" Scannell exclaimed.

The Doctor simply smirked. "Oh, just you watch."

"You open that airlock, it's _suicide!_ This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

For the first time today Rose agreed with this man. She stared at the Doctor pointedly almost like her mother would do to her when she was young. Then again, he can sometimes be the equivalent to a five year old boy, so the stance was appropriate.

"I can handle it, I assure you," he insisted, taking the helmet into his hands. "Now, while I'm out there, you've got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

Scannell shook his head in defiance. "Doctor, will you listen!? They're too far away, it's too late!"

He looked the man right in the eyes. "I'm not losing anyone else."

Taking a deep breath Rose knew there would be no stopping him at all right now. Once an idea struck that mind of his, he always was determined to stick with it, doing whatever he could to save people.

Turning away from Scannell, the Doctor faced Rose with the helmet still in his hands. While she was furious at the moment she couldn't help but be reminded of the similar picture when they were trapped on Krop Tor.

Stepping up to him she poked him in the chest. "I want that space suit back in one piece."

He smiled softly at her. "Yes, sir."

Instead of putting his helmet on, he held it under his arm before bringing his opposite hand up behind her head and brought her in for a deep kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, not wanting him to go. His hand moved down from her face as his arm wrapped around her waist. When they broke apart she arched her brows at him.

"That's a change from last time," she commented.

He chuckled once. "Maybe just a little bit. I'll see you later."

"Not if I see you first."

She leaned up for another brief kiss before releasing herself from him as he put his helmet on and headed for the airlock. Watching him go, she felt another chill shoot through her as the whispers echoed once again in her ears. _Burn with me. We must share the light._

_**"Decompression initiated. Impact in 12:55."**_


	27. 42 Part 3

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! :) Just for that, have some lovely chocolates *gives them away* ****Thank you lovely viewers! ;D ****This chapter is…well…_heated._ Yeah, I tried to make a pun to lighten the mood.**

* * *

_**Chapter 27: 42 Part 3**_

_**"Impact in 11:15. Heat shield failing, at ten percent."**_

The Doctor walked towards the airlock door, more specifically the exterior one, and pressed a button on the panel off to the side. Once it opened an unbearable wave of scorching heat smacked him dead in the face, making him wince. He may have a spacesuit on, but the rays were incredibly strong, both in temperature as well as the blinding light.

Gripping onto the frame as he fought against the air of the space pulling at him like a vacuum, he managed to lean over the edge slightly in an attempt to reach the buttons to the side. Holding himself up with his other hand, he swung his opposite out and just missed the panel. Cursing inwardly he tried again and shook a bit from the forceful winds, knocking himself a little off balance.

Gritting his teeth he hissed in pain as he stretched as far as he could while battling the heat. These shields weren't going to hold up much longer, and he needed to reach the panel before Martha gets too far away and winds up crashing into the burning sun…before this entire ship crashed into it.

He wouldn't let it happen. No one else was going to die here.

"Come on!" he groaned as he finally managed to push the buttons on the side, letting out a brief cheer of victory. "Go on, my son!"

One accomplishment achieved. Brilliant! Now he needed to pull the lever beside it_—_which was ultimately even _more_ of a challenge. Shifting himself slightly in a new position, he made a reach for the lever and missed. Cursing again he tried again, but couldn't go any farther. The arm gripping onto the frame reached its limit. No, he won't allow that. The longer he hung out, the more he was succumbing to the heat. Breathing heavily, his respiratory bypass was on the verge of kicking in, but even that wouldn't protect him from the suffocating air.

_**"Doctor,"**_ came the much soothing voice of Rose from the intercom. _**"How're you doing?"**_

Stretching again he skimmed over the lever again and grunted. "I can't…" he spoke breathlessly in between panting. "I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last!"

_**"Don't give up, Doctor,"**_ she encouraged. _**"You can do this, I know you can. I believe in you."**_

That was all the inspiration he needed. Taking in a shuddering breath he found that extra bit of strength he'd been missing and fought against the pain shooting through his body and the winds. Letting out a scream he stretched until he finally grabbed the lever before pulling it down with everything he had left, hearing it crank.

Struggling back into the airlock he fell to his knees completely exhausted and spent. Looking up he saw the pod returning to the ship, but what struck him most was the sun itself. Its light reflected off of the glass of his helmet.

_**"Doctor, move back,"**_ Rose directed him, but he felt frozen in place.

All he could do was stare in wonder, confusion, and fear at the sight before him and whisper, "It's alive…It's alive?" _Oh, no._ "It's alive!"

_Burn with me._

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Just before she clicked off the intercom, Rose could've sworn she heard the Doctor saying something, but it was all static. Just as she was about to call him again, the computerized voice came on.

_**"Impact at 8:57. Airlock recompression: completed."**_

A breath of relief escaped from her once she saw the Doctor safely making his way back in. Not even hesitating she ran to the door and pulled it open to find the Doctor stumble with his helmet off before he fell to his knees and backed himself against the wall, panting and sweating profusely while groaning with his eyes clamped shut and face contorted.

Ignoring the chill creeping inside of her once again she knelt down beside him. "Doctor?" she said gently. "Doctor, what's wrong?" Placing a hand to his cheek he immediately responded by gripping her wrist tight, making her yelp.

"Stay away from me!" he yelled angrily with a much more deeper and sinister voice. His eyes flicked open slightly as a bright blinding light poured out from the slits.

She felt the color drain from her face as her heart dropped, looking at him in horror. "No," she breathed out barely audible. He couldn't be…he was _infected._ No, no, no, he can't be!

Somehow getting out of his painful grip she backed away from him and scrambled to her feet. Making her way to the door she heard Martha's voice come from behind as well as the others coming down.

"Doctor! Rose! You did it!" She made it to the door and stopped when she caught sight of the Doctor. "Is he okay?"

"What's happened?" McDonnell asked, coming into the room.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" the Doctor shouted.

The captain winced at his sudden anger before directing, "Riley! Get down to Area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" The two went right to it and left.

"You mined that sun!" he continued as he writhed against the wall. "Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," McDonnell said.

"Doctor, what're you talking about?" Martha asked fearfully.

Rose's breath hitched when she he had said. _Burn with me._ "It's alive," she whispered before saying it louder. "That sun's _alive!"_

"A living organism," the Doctor ground out, his voice raising with each word. "They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's SCREAMING!"

Rose bit back on a sob choking her as she watched him struggle. _We must share the light._

"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive?" McDonnell asked frighteningly before turning to Rose. "Why's he saying that?"

"Because it's living in me," he told her hoarsely.

"Oh, my god…" the captain breathed out.

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long! We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal," she defended.

Rose turned to her now with anger. She trusted this woman and it turned out she was a part of this whole epidemic whether she knew it or not. "And look at what you've accomplished _because_ of it! You angered a living thing, and let it infect and _kill_!" She looked over to the Doctor, her anger fading into concern and panic. "Doctor, I know you're still in there. Tell us what to do."

He let out a low groan before speaking. "You've got to freeze me, quickly!" His voice was still hoarse, but his desperation was peeking through.

Rose wasted no time in pulling him to his feet, which seemed harder than she had thought as he was almost like deadweight.

"What?" Martha asked, coming over to help her.

"Stasis chamber!" he cried. "You gotta keep me…below minus 200. Freeze it out of me!" He screamed again and slumped back to his knees. "It'll use me to kill you if you don't! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-center! Quickly, quickly!"

Rose nodded with a grunt. "We're on it, c'mon, Martha." Together they managed to get him up on his feet and struggled to rush down the corridor. Every moan and cry that escaped from him tugged at Rose's heart more and more. She hated seeing him in so much pain and in such a vulnerable position.

"What can I do?" McDonnell asked when she began to follow them.

_"You've_ done enough already!" Rose snapped at her.

_**"Impact in 7:30."**_

She growled at the alert. "Oh, shut up already!"

Of course it was helpful and informative so they knew how much time they had, but in the mood she was in right now, she would probably tear something apart_—_starting with that bloody computer. Finally making it to the med-center the girls set him down on the bed. Martha ran over to the machine's controls while Rose stood by the Doctor's side as he moaned in pain before running over to see if Martha needed help real quick.

"We need to figure out how to work this thing fast," she said.

Martha nodded frantically looking for the instructions. "I know, I'll figure it out! Stay with him. I can do it!

"Rose," the Doctor croaked out in a fearful whimper. "Rose, where are you?"

Rushing back over to his side, she pressed a gentle hand to his cheek to reassure she was with him. "I'm here, I'm here," she said soothingly, taking his hand with her opposite one and holding it close to her face. "It's all right, I'm not leaving you. Stasis chamber, minus 200, yeah?"

"No, you don't know how this equipment works!" McDonnell cried as she came into the room. "You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

Rose glared daggers at the woman while Martha said, "He's not human. If he says he can survive, then he can."

"Let me help you then!" The captain began to move closer to the machine and Rose exploded.

"Yeah, you've _'helped'_ us _plenty_ today! You touch another control in this ship, I swear you'll only wish you haven't met me. You wanna make yourself useful, then sod off!" she shouted.

"She's right, you've done enough damage," Martha spat angrily as she continued her work.

"Ten seconds," the Doctor panted out. "That's all I'll be able to take. No more!" He let out another painful scream and thrashed around.

Rose could easily feel bruises forming on her wrists as he tightened his grip on her, but she didn't care about them at the moment. All of her focus was on him. "It's all right," she soothed. Pulling the hand still on his cheek away she came out of his grasp to brush back his fringe and wiped away some of the many rivulets of sweat soaking his forehead. "We've got you, Doctor. You'll be fine," She stressed, fighting back on a sob as she watched him.

"It's burning me up," he said, keeping his death grip planted on her wrist as she continued to brush back his hair with her free hand. "I can't control it," he said with that deep, sinister voice. "If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all!" Rose felt one of her tears escape as the Doctor screamed again before whimpering, "Rose, I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

"Shh, I know you are. Just try to stay calm, love." She'd never referred to him by that name despite admitting her love to him, but he needed all the support and reassurance she could give him. "Martha and I are here, we've got you."

"We're here, Doctor," Martha said, looking over from her work. "You saved me, now I'm returning the favor. Just…just believe in me. Believe in _us_."

"It's burning through me!" he cried as he thrashed again, his face twisting more and more. "I dunno what'll happen!"

"That's enough! You're gonna be just fine, Doctor. Trust us."

He panted again. "There's this process…if I die…"

Rose's breath hitched. Oh, no. Not on her watch. He wasn't dying, not right now. "Doctor, don't_—_"

"Rose, if I-if…I change_—_"

"Stop it!" she said with firmness. "You're not gonna die. I won't let it happen, I promise." Leaning forward she pressed a soft kiss to his burning, trembling lips. Pulling back, she resumed brushing his hair off of his drenched forehead.

"Rose," Martha said softly. "It's time."

Nodding at her, she removed herself from his grip. As she figured her wrists were definitely bruised and turning a shade of purple. That wasn't any of her concern though right now.

"You ready?" Martha asked.

Rose nodded again at the same time the Doctor admittedly answered, "No!"

She leaned over and gave him one more kiss, this time on his forehead, before brushing his hair back one more time and then finally moving away from him to stand by Martha, her insides shaking.

_**"Heat shields failing. At five percent."**_

Martha pulled a lever causing the bed to slide back into the chamber then typed in the required temperature of minus 200. Glancing briefly at Rose, she pressed a button and started the freezing process.

The agonizing screams that came out of the Doctor tore at her heart as she shut her eyes tight and fought back on her tears. But not much later the machine shut off on its own far too soon. Whipping around Rose saw the temperature only at minus 70.

"No!" the Doctor yelled from inside the chamber. "Martha, you can't stop it! Not yet!"

"What's happened?" Rose demanded, her attention immediately falling to the captain. "Did you touch something?"

McDonnell shook her head and observed the machine. "Power's been cut in engineering."

"But who's down there?" Martha asked.

"Leave it to me," the captain replied with a low voice as she ran out of the room.

_**"Impact in 4:47."**_

Rose and Martha immediately ran over to the machine and started pressing random buttons in an attempt to get it to work. "Come on," Martha muttered. "You're defrosting."

"Bloody piece of-" Rose slammed her hand hard on the side out of frustration, which resulted in nothing except a sharp pain shooting through her bruised wrist.

"Calm down, Rose," Martha said softly. She couldn't blame her for being so upset and trying to rid herself from some of her frustrations, but they needed to work fast. "We'll fix this."

"Rose, Martha!" The Doctor's voice rang out from inside the chamber. "Listen, I've only got a moment. The two of you gotta go!"

Martha answered before Rose could. "No way!"

"Get to the front!" he commanded. "Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"

"I'm not leaving you," Rose told him.

"You've got to! Give back what they took!" He stopped as he began to convulse again and cried. "Go, _please!"_

Martha moved to pull Rose along with her, but she kept her ground and refused. "Go, I'm staying with him."

"Rose, you can't!"

"Martha, please. I know what I'm doing, and I'm _not_ leaving him."

"He's infected and it could spread to you," Martha told her. "I'm not gonna lose you both."

"You won't lose _either_ of us if you go down and get the power running again. Just go!"

Martha studied her. These two were more than just impossible if there ever was another word to describe them. Realizing that she wasn't going to convince her any further she shook her head then turned to leave. But before she left, she said quietly, "Be careful."

_**"Impact in 4:08."**_

The Doctor continued to writh and cry out in agony on the bed still within the chamber. He had said he didn't know how much longer he could last, but Rose knew he was strong and that he would fight this as much as he could.

Stepping over to the foot of the bed Rose placed a gentle hand on his calf, causing him to jerk and scream again. "Doctor, it's alright. It's only me."

"Rose!? Why the hell are you still here!?" he growled. "Get out of here! Now! _Please!"_

"No," she said softly, rubbing his leg soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving you alone."

Another nasty growl escaped him that sent a chill down her spine. "Stupid girl…stupid bloody APE!" he spat out furiously. "Why do you always have to be so damn _stubborn_ all the time? Is your head seriously that _thick_!? You won't be happy until I kill you myself! Is that what it'll take!?" he finished with a gurgling scream.

As cruel as his words were, those weren't what was hurting Rose the most. It wasn't him. She hated seeing him in so much pain, and not in his right mind at all. It wasn't him saying those things, it was the sun possessing him. Yes, he could possibly kill her any moment she stays with him, but she couldn't leave him. She was basically taking a big risk by being within his reach, but she didn't care.

Not wanting to think about it but if this entity controlling him succeeded in killing her, then she knew how much more pain the Doctor would be in knowing that his body was used against his will like a puppet to perform the act. He'd never forgive himself for that. She didn't want any of that to happen, but she wasn't leaving him.

Struggling in the bed, the Doctor started to slowly slide out of the stasis chamber. Making a quick decision Rose stepped away from him and moved to the other side of the room. He was strong, but if he couldn't last much longer, then she'd better keep a safe distance between them.

_**"Impact in 2:17."**_

Running off in the corridor, she was about to talk through the intercom to check in with Martha when it clicked on itself.

_**"Riley, Scannell," **_McDonnell called. _**"I'm sorry."**_

_**"McDonnell!" **_Scannell shouted, _**"McDonnell!"**_

_**"Exterior airlock opened."**_

Her breath hitched at the shouts over the comm and closed her eyes when she heard the Doctor scream in pain again before crashing to the floor. The captain sacrificed herself. Rose may have given her a hard time earlier, but she had respect for her. Though the problem still wasn't solved.

"Rose," she heard the Doctor call out in a fearful whimper.

Turning around she saw him on the ground crawling helplessly towards her in the corridor with his eyes still shut tight and gritted his teeth.

Frozen in her spot she tried to breathe steadily. "It's okay, Doctor," she told him calmly, contrasting with her shaky insides. "Just hold on a little longer."

He pushed himself up to his knees, his head bowed down and cried. "I can't fight it!"

"Yes, you can!" She encouraged before clicking on the intercom. "Martha, are you nearly there?"

_**"I'm doing all I can,"**_ she answered frantically. _**"What's going on down there?"**_

Before Rose could respond, the Doctor shouted again from behind. "Rose, get out! I can't fight it! You've got to give it back or_—_"

He paused. Spinning around, Rose saw his body shudder slightly with shaky breaths as he lifted his head and opened his eyes, the light pouring out.

_**"Burn with me," **_he growled out.

Her heart dropped. "No," she whispered.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha shivered when she heard those ominous words escape from the Doctor on the other end. "Rose, get out of there!" she called out over the intercom.

_**"Survival element protection. Zero percent."**_

There wasn't that much time left. Her friends were in greater danger than ever, and they both might not make it out. But she wouldn't let it happen. They needed each other just as much as she needed them_—_the world needed them.

She ran down to the front of the ship and found Scannell and Riley.

_**"Impact in 1:21."**_

"Vent the engines! Dump the fuel!" Martha ordered.

Scannell looked at her in shock. "What?"

"Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them. Do it, now!"

Both men went straight to work and started gathering the barrels containing fuel. "Come on, Doctor. Just hold on," she whispered, praying for her friends to make it out okay.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor slowly stood to his feet and Rose immediately dashed down the corridor to get away from him, but he seemed to move at supersonic speed as he grabbed her by the waist from behind. Shoving her hard against the wall, he gripped her already bruised wrists tightly and held them up over her head, causing her to stifle a cry.

_**"Burn with me, Rose."**_

"No!" She kept her eyes closed as she felt the heat coursing out of his own and tried to fight from his hold, but he was too strong. The whispers kept echoing in her ears. "Doctor, you've gotta fight it!"

She struggled again, but he pressed his body against hers to keep her trapped, his face inches away. _**"We must share the light. Burn with me!"**_

Tears burned her eyes as she kept them screwed shut to avoid taking in the light. "Doctor, I know you're in there. You've gotta fight! You're _strong__—_stronger than any human, you can fight this!" She swallowed hard before adding softly, "I love you, Doctor, and I believe in you."

Holding her breath waiting for what he was about to do, he suddenly released her wrists from above her head with a grunt. Opening her eyes Rose saw that he had turned with his back to her, doubling over in pain. She moved a few steps away from him as he panted.

"Gah!" He threw himself back into the wall forcefully, fighting against the power of the sun. Falling to his knees, he screamed again as the blinding light glowed around him.

Bringing an arm up she shielded her eyes she heard an alert blare overhead. _**"Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat: Life support systems reaching critical. Impact in 1:06. Collision alert. Collision alert."**_

_Come on,_ Rose prayed in her head. _Come on, Martha._

_**"Fuel dump in progress. Fuel dump in progress." **_Just as she inwardly cheered a little, the computer alerted, _**"Impact averted. Impact averted."**_

Soon the light began to fade out and his cries turned into soft gasps. Lowering her arm from her face Rose saw the color returning to his eyes before he closed them again as he collapsed back into the wall, breathing heavily.

Approaching him warily, she knelt down in front of him and placed a shaky hand on his face. "Doctor?" she whispered.

His eyes remained shut as he tried to steady his breaths until he suddenly wrapped his arms around her back and brought her close for a fierce, desperate kiss. Shocked at first Rose realized he was back and reciprocated with equal fervor, inwardly smiling when she heard him hum in relief.

Once they finally broke apart he buried his face in her neck and held her tight. "Rose…" he gasped out.

She brought both of her hands up and smoothed his hair as he calmed himself down. "Welcome back," she told him with a watery smile.

He chuckled breathlessly and kissed her pulse point, nuzzling the spot. When he pulled back he stood on wobbly legs and brought her up with him. She cupped his face and caressed his cheekbones with her thumbs. His own hands came up to hold her wrists, but when he made light contact, she hissed a little and flinched.

"Rose, what's wrong?" the Doctor asked concerned.

She shook her head. "'S nothing, just some bruises."

That didn't convince him any. Looking down he noticed the nasty purple marks discolored on her skin with deep welts in the shapes of fingers wrapping around her wrists. His breath hitched at them. _He_ gave her those. Before he could examine her, Martha came running into the corridor.

Rose immediately took her in a hug before she went over to the Doctor. "Glad you're alright. Both of you," she said relieved.

He smiled at her and chuckled, all the while he was kicking himself inside. _Sure, w__hy wouldn't he be. He's always alright, and he was definitely all cheery at the moment._

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"This is never your ship!" Scannell exclaimed as the Doctor circled around the TARDIS, inspecting it for any damage. Truth be told he really didn't have to since She could survive almost anything. What he was doing was avoiding eye contact from anyone_—_especially Rose. He couldn't look at her right now, not that it was her fault, it was him. Always _him._

Putting on his usual chipper facade, he patted his ship proudly. "Compact, eh? And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel," Martha said.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley informed her. "The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell added.

The Doctor pressed his lips together and opened the TARDIS door. "Just tell them…that sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

Scannell nodded in response as he turned to walk inside. Martha stayed out for a few minutes while Rose followed him in. She studied him carefully and noticed how distant he seemed to be. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he answered casually still facing forward. "Still feel a little shaky, but other than that, I'm fine."

Rose arched an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it as he moved around the console and kept his head low. That was a lie, she could tell.

It was understandable that he would feel uncomfortable now since he had a living thing possessing him, and, coming from experience what with the encountering of a certain bitchy trampoline, she knew the feeling. But why was he avoiding her?

Just as she was about to question him again, Martha finally came in and shut the door behind her. "So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we, Doctor?" she asked happily. Rose glanced over at the Doctor, who didn't even respond. She knew that look and it was his broody over thinking face_—_all calm on the outside but a storm brewing on the inside.

"Sorry," Martha said, all happiness diminished. Coming up the ramp, she flitted her eyes between them. "How're you doing?"

Rose simply nodded once while the Doctor did one of the things he did best: flip his manic switch. "Now!" He pulled the lever and sent them in the vortex, his eyes still fixed on the console. "What do you say, girls? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Korhaan. Fancy it?"

"Doesn't matter," Rose shrugged, eyeing him.

"Whatever you like," Martha said unsure.

He finally raised his head to look at Martha. "By the way, you'll be needing this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long chain with a TARDIS key attached at the end.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Frequent Flyer's Privilege," he said with smirk as she took it out of his hands. "And…thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said with a smile before realizing, "Oh no, Mum!" Sh patted her pocket to retrieve her phone. "I'll take this in my room."

As she walked away Rose remembered something. "Oh, yeah. Martha, who was it that had more number ones_—_Elvis or the Beatles?"

Martha turned around. "I asked Mum and she looked it up. It was Elvis."

"Really?" She nodded. "Thanks, just wanted to know." Their friend nodded again before dialing her phone and conversing with her mother as she went down the corridor.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the Doctor. He had his back to her as he fiddled with the controls. Clearly he was in his broody state, but he still would get a kick out of this. "Guess you won," she commented lightly.

"What?"

"You were right. Elvis _did_ have more number ones than the Beatles."

He chuckled. "Aren't I always right?"

"No," she said with a chuckle of her own. "But you changed your answer, like what, five times?"

"Maybe, but I knew it was the King all along," he stressed.

"Whatever you say. But you're not getting five quid until you pay the ten you owe me way back from Scotland."

The Doctor snorted. "I wasn't planning on that anyway."

"I knew that already since I'm the one who always pays for everything." He chuckled again. She knew he was forcing it out and she needed to talk to him, but she felt sticky from sweating all day. "'M gonna take a cold shower," she told him.

He nodded, still not facing her. "Okay. Don't make it _too_ cold_—_not good for your body."

She studied him for another moment before leaving. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Rose," he assured. "Go get freshened up. We're going skating!"

Yep, she really needed to talk to him. Turning her head, Rose finally walked down the corridor.

Once she left the Doctor finally lifted his head. He twisted his body around to look down the corridor where she had exited and sighed, running a hand down his face before thrusting it in his hair. Oh, Rose. His poor, lovely, Rose. What had he done?

He hurt her_—__physically_ hurt her, and now he couldn't bear to look at her right now. He couldn't stand beside her either. His fears were confirmed: he turned into a monster that he had never wanted her to see, and he can't take it back. She could heal herself, but he'll always know he was the cause of her pain. Possessed or not, he resented himself for doing such a thing at all.

He almost killed her himself.

Was this a sign that he was just too dangerous to be around? Now he was certain she'd never want to bond with him after that incident_—_if she was capable of creating one with him, that is. Leaning his elbows on the console he buried his face in his hands. He couldn't do this anymore. How could he bring this whole thing up to her without upsetting her?

That was the point. There was no way he could. He felt the TARDIS nudge his mind softly, but he didn't respond to Her. He just remained silent. There was nothing to say, nothing to justify him for what he had done.

* * *

**You can feel the angst, can't you? I know, I know. I'm sorry.**


	28. Trouble in Paradise

**A/N: Soooooo…I'm pretty sure you're all gonna come after me for this. ****You gotta admit this would eventually come even if you didn't want it to, but bear with me here. ****Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation! ;)**

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_**Chapter 28: Trouble in Paradise**_

The moment Rose came out of her shower she had full intentions of talking to the Doctor as he entered his brooding state once again. But as she arrived in the console room, it appeared he wasn't in the mood to talk. He pulled the lever and they landed somewhere. Martha had came out of her room after chatting with her mother on her phone, and even sshe noticed the discomfort.

The mineral lakes of Korhaan were a beautiful, if not impossible, sight to see. Not only was the ice a mixture of colors containing purple, magenta, and green that matched the patterns of the sky and the moons, but it looked nothing like ice at all. In fact it shone and glimmered like soft, moving waves of an actual unfrozen lake.

Stepping to the edge the girls crouched down and placed a hand gently to the surface, amazed at the texture. It may have looked like water flowing but it was all solid. Grabbing the specific skates needed to be worn, the group slowly made their way onto the lake. Martha struggled a little and Rose nearly slipped, but the Doctor was behind them and offered his arms for them to hold themselves up with. Pretty soon, both girls became familiar with the surface and let go of him, beginning to glide smoothly.

The entire trip Rose noted how the Doctor continued to distance himself from her. From the moment they arrived, he barely even glanced over to her. The only time they held hands was when she almost fell on the ice at first contact and he kept her up. Because her wrists were still still slightly bruised she bit back on a hiss of pain, but she was sure he heard it the way her breath hitched. Now he wouldn't even touch her, all because he hurt her when he was possessed by the sun in the Torajji system. But it wasn't his fault, though.

She couldn't stand this space left between them. She was going to confront him about this once they got back to the TARDIS.

"It's amazing how the ice remains that way even in the summer," Martha commented as she sat on the jump seat. She hadn't gone skating since she was a little girl, and when compared to the experience she just had, those lakes seemed to be easier to glide on.

"Not really," the Doctor interjected, sending the TARDIS into the vortex. "Like I said, it's basically winter all year long. They have six seasons, and each is just relatively colder than the previous in the cycle. What you consider winter on Earth is their summer."

"Right." Martha said as she looked over at Rose.

She was standing on the opposite side of the console and biting her thumbnail. It wasn't hard to miss the uneasiness again. She also noticed how the Doctor shifted around them. He seemed to be putting space between them_—_mainly between himself and Rose_—_and barely even looked at her.

These two have yet to even talk about the incident on that ship. After she had left to make a call for her mother over the phone, she assumed that they would have a chance to talk. But seeing the way they were acting, no conversation was made. That was her cue to give them their privacy.

Taking out her phone she flipped it up. "Oh, wow. Mum's been blasting my voicemail," she lied.

The Doctor turned and arched an eyebrow at her. "Really? We didn't hear it ring all this time," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I lowered the volume so that it wouldn't disrupt us on our trip." _Please be a good enough excuse._

"That's odd, it's supposed to alert you regardless. It doesn't just go silent, the sensors were enhanced."

She simply shrugged. "Well, whatever I did, I made it silent. Besides, I still was alerted, it just wasn't that loud."

The Doctor nodded. "Alright then. At least it's working properly."

Martha stood from the jump seat. "I better call her back, see what all the fuss about. I'll see ya in a little bit." Both he and Rose nodded before she turned to leave them alone. Hopefully they can settle whatever tension they have.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The moment their friend walked out of the room Rose couldn't help but feel awkward in this atmosphere. She knew that Martha had lied about her phone. Hers was exactly the same, and those sensors didn't just become silent. It was just an excuse to leave. Now Rose was left alone with the Doctor, who was still avoiding her to say the least, and could easily see how uncomfortable he was becoming. She couldn't stand this oddness in behavior all of a sudden, it needed to be discussed whether or not he wanted to.

He surprised her when he spoke up with his usual chipper tone, though still kept his eyes down. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I guess," she answered flatly, though he didn't seem to notice. But she figured he actually did and waved it off.

"Can't go wrong with skating." He clapped his hands together before returning them to the console. "Right. Where to now? Oh! Since it was mentioned, what d'you say we head to New York_—_the actual city, and not near Hooverville_—_"

"Doctor," Rose cut in.

"How about we see the King's panned performance at the _Ed Sullivan Show?_ Didn't get to see it last time_—_"

"Doctor, cut the crap and tell me what's bothering you," she said firmly, cutting straight to the topic.

She saw his hands still before he shifted himself to the side, almost as if he was hiding behind the time rotor. "Rose, I'm fine_—_" he started quietly.

"Don't." Rose moved around the console to see his face which was still hung low. "Don't even try it," she said with seriousness. "You think I don't know your brooding state by now? You might as well have taped a sign on your back saying so. You've been avoiding me all day. You won't even _look_ at me." She took a deep breath and calmed her voice down a bit. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

The Doctor's mind was racing but not as fast as the rapid beating of his hearts. He needed to release this ache that's been bothering him for…quite a while now, but after recent events he's worried of even bringing anything up. For one thing he was actually thankful that he hadn't initiated the bond with her the other night because not only would she have to suffer with the broken and battering past he wished was obliterated from his mind, but she would've felt every ounce of pain he felt when the sun took control of his body. Felt it multiply when he had hurt her with his own hands.

Rose moved around the console towards him and he shook inside. She was always determined to help him and fix him, and she was usually brilliant at it, but even she couldn't heal him for what he had done.

"Doctor, whatever's bothering you, you can just tell me," she said softly.

He turned his head away and closed his eyes. The scene, while somewhat foggy, burned into his mind. He threw her up against the wall, bounded her wrists with his hands, held them over her head and squeezed so tight. He fear radiated off of her more than the heat from the rising temperatures and overwhelmed him, and he couldn't stop himself. He went too far.

Maybe he _was_ diving in too deep with this woman, and it was only a matter of time until she was drowning along with him_—_far more than she already was. She didn't deserve that or any of this. She deserved something more, something better_—_things that he couldn't give her to make her happy.

A hand came to rest on his cheek in an attempt to turn him to face her, but he just couldn't do it. Instead he turned his body away with his back to her, easily feeling her gaze burning into him from behind.

Rose stared at him feeling a mixture of confusion, anger, and hurt. It was like he wanted nothing to do with her. "Doctor, what's your deal? You went from snogging me senseless and holding onto me for dear life not that long ago, and now you won't even look at me. What's wrong?"

His hands made their way into his pockets while his head was bowed. "Are you happy, Rose?" he asked quietly.

Her brows furrowed. "What? Why would you ask that? Of course I'm happy. I'm concerned and a little confused at the moment, but I'm fine. I'm…happy."

"You may be now, but it won't last for much longer," he said with a hollow voice.

"What are you talking about?"

How could he say this simply? That was the problem, there was no way to make this simple. "I'm sorry, I just…I can't do this," he admitted out loud.

"Can't do what?"

Swallowing hard he took a deep breath. "I went too far."

"With _what_? Just tell me," she urged. "Is it because of my wrists? Doctor, I told you I'm fine, they're healing fast, it's nothing-"

"That's the whole point," he said with a louder voice. "I _hurt_ you! You can't brush that off like it's _nothing,_ Rose. I _physically_ hurt you with my own hands! How can you disregard the fact that I almost _killed_ you?"

"That wasn't _your_ fault!" Rose told him. "_You_ didn't do that, it was a bleedin' _sun_ taking over your body!"

"But it was still by _my_ doing."

"So that's why you've been avoiding me? 'Cause you gave me bruises and almost killed me when you were possessed and blame yourself for it?"

He paused. "No…partly."

Rose blinked a few times. "What d'you mean?" He shook his head and stayed silent. Oh, no he wasn't. He was definitely _not_ letting this go. She needed answers.

Stepping forward she put a hand on his shoulder and spun him around to face her fully. He seemed shocked by her sudden movement, but she didn't care. "Tell me what the hell is the matter with you, Doctor. I mean it, just tell me. Why are you suddenly distancing yourself from me?"

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory."

"Maybe it is, but I wanna hear it come from you," she challenged. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on with you, and you know very well that I'm here to stay forever, so you can't keep bottling everything up inside."

"That's just it," he replied.

"What is?"

"You're gonna live forever, and you wanna spend it with _me_."

She arched a curious brow at him. "So, what, you're _ashamed_ by that? Of _me_?"

The Doctor shook his head before scrubbing a hand down his face. "No, Rose_—_"

"Then _what!?"_ she shouted. "You sound like you don't even want this anymore." Her breath hitched, fearing that was what he was trying to say. "You _are,_ aren't you? Are you saying…we're _done?"_

He took in a shuddering breath and spoke calmly. "All's I'm saying is that…we can't keep doing this anymore."

"You're basically saying that you don't wanna be with me anymore," she accused tersely before laughing bitterly. "All of a sudden after this _whole _entire time. Having spent so much time together, after _finally_ admitting our feelings for each other, after comforting you and being there for you in your emotional traumatic mindset, you're _still_ trying to push me away! You bloody_—_"

"Don't you see what your life's become _because_ of _me?"_ He shot back. "You've lost so much since the very first day you met me_—_your friends, your family, every single person you've encountered. You'll never see any of them again because I came into your life! I'm ruining it every day that goes by, and it could only get worse than that."

"How the hell are you _ruining_ my life? This is the life I _chose!"_

He thrust his arms out. "Exactly! _My_ life! I've taken you away from things you could want one day, things that I could never be able to give you_—_the chance of a _normal_ life with a _human."_

"Woah, _don't_ even go there," she warned, cutting him off with a raised hand. "I told you before, Doctor. Those things were never a concern for me _before_ I met you, why would they be _after_? _Don't_ turn this around onto me. We were given the greatest gift from the universe_—_the chance to be together _forever,_ to be by each other's sides, and you ask me if I'm happy? How can I not be happy when the one thing we've always wanted now exists?"

"Because it could only turn into a curse," he answered sadly.

Rose laughed again and slapped her thighs. "Here we go again. You _still _have that notion that living a long life only ends up in loneliness. Why can't you understand that I'm _never_ gonna leave you? What'll it take to prove it to you? Should I tattoo it on my forehead for you to see every day?"

He made a frustrated sound as he turned around and thrust his hand into his hair before turning back to face her. "You see why I don't get close to people? Eh? _This_ is why!

"Oh, I see it very clearly. You're afraid of things getting too _domestic_!" she said hotly.

"That has nothing to do with it!"

Not backing down from him, she stood right up to him. "What about the trip to Noel, then? Huh? Is _that_ relevant?"

"Rose_—_"

"You planned that trip for one reason, Doctor. You told me straight that we were gonna cherish every second of time together. Why? Was that all out of pity 'cause the Beast said I was gonna die?"

The Doctor shook his head immediately as his eyes widened. "What!? No! That's not_—_"

"Then what? If you supposedly regretted coming into my life, then why would you admit your feelings for me knowing full well I promised to never leave you? What, were _you_ looking for pity?"

His brows shot up to his hairline. "Of course not! I'm not looking for _anyone's_ pity, and I'm certainly _not_ doing anything out of it for you. I was tired of losing _everything,_ sick and tired of losing _everyone_ around me, and I _still_ am." Pausing to inhale a shaky breath he continued. "For _so_ many years the universe has kept me under a black cloud, finding new ways to ruin my life and drive me mad. And then when I met you, none of that mattered to me. For once I thought the universe was being somewhat kind to me and gave me the angel I've long since needed in my life though never deserved. But just like always, whenever someone comes into contact with me, the slightest encounter, everything around that person falls apart. Because of _me! _And then I have to live on with the guilt and constant reminder of being the cause of that person's misery."

Rose shook her head. "I'm _not_ miserable. I've never been happier in my life."

The Doctor took another deep breath. "You see? The one thing that could preserve your promise is a curse. Now you'll have to live on and watch everyone around you wither and die. All because you're with me. And now you're destined for the same fate."

"First of all, that wasn't just _my_ promise. _You_ made the promise with me," she corrected. "That day back on Noel gave us the extra push we were looking for to finally admit it to each other after two long years. You've been alone for so long, but you're _not_ any more. You've got me."

He studied her with an unreadable expression. "You could've done better. You could've just found someone human who could give you everything that I couldn't."

"I told you I don't _want_ any of that. None of that matters to me, and you give me things no one else ever _could."_

He snorted in derision. "Sure, just go with the old mad man in a box."

"You keep on degrading yourself, just stop it." She told him before adding quietly, "I love you, Doctor."

"Don't say that," he spoke with barely a whisper with a shake of his head and closed his eyes.

"You _know_ I mean it," she said firmly. "No matter what, that's never gonna change."

Letting out a deep breath, the Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face before stiffening, his jaw clenched tight to show his dimples. "That may be true, but as time goes on you'll realize how much you could have had if you hadn't met me," he said in another low whisper. "The longer you're here you'll see exactly why I'm such a curse myself and you'll grow to resent it."

Rose backed away from him and sighed in frustration. "Oh, my God…you're so _thick!_ Stop trying to push me away! I _made_ the decision to stay here _myself. _You think I don't know that I've lost everything? I think about it all the time, but I know I'd be more of a wreck if I had lost _you__!"_ She went right back over to him and poked him in the chest. "After you tried to send me away into the parallel world with my mum, I chose to go back to you. I chose _you!_ It may have cost me from seeing Mum ever again, and it'll always upset me, but I'd be worse if I couldn't reach you ever again."

"And _look_ at what happened!" He shouted. "I gave you a way out to be _safe!_ I was looking out for you just as I _always_ do, and you have to always defy me and come back. You could've had a better life there with your family and friends_—_even your baby brother or sister. You don't even know your sibling's gender. You can never go back!"

"I never wanted to!" she yelled back, feeling tears burning in the backs of her eyes. "We had just accepted our new relationship, and there was no way in hell I was gonna leave. I never planned to. God, how can you…" Rose paused for a moment to study him as he breathed heavily. "Oh, God. You never thought I'd _actually_ stay with you, did you?"

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Even right before Noel, you didn't believe I'd stay with you. Then you planned to take us there in hopes that we could start something new, and like you always do, you claimed you knew it'd work. But deep down, you still didn't believe I'd stay."

"I _did_ believe," he stressed seriously.

"What about now, Doctor? Do you _still_ believe?" she challenged.

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond but just growled in frustration and turned away from her to thrust a hand in his hair, tugging furiously.

Rose laughed bitterly again as her tears began to mist her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "There it is. You're scared," she said. "You're _terrified_ of our future…and you wanna run away. Just run away from everything."

"Of course I do!" he shouted as he whipped around. "All my life I've spent running away and never looking back_—_"

"So, what, you just wanna dump me on the side, then?"

"No," he said sincerely without hesitation. "I'd _never_ do that to you, you know that. I _swore."_

"But you wanna strip me of my_—_no, _our__—_happiness because it's eating away at _you,"_ she concluded before shaking her head. "Oh, you…you _stupid, selfish git!"_

His eyes widened at her words. _"Selfish!?_ How am I selfish? I admit that it was selfish of me to sacrifice to Daleks when I knew I was almost breaking our promise of being together, but I was trying to keep my other promise to keep you _safe._ As daft and ridiculous as my plans are, you're always my number one concern. I _regenerated_ for you, for Rassilon's sake! I'm _always_ looking out for you to make sure you're out of harm's way, that you make it out alive, safe and sound. And right now I'm doing what's best for us_—_"

"Oh, please, don't give me that rubbish!" Rose spat. "You contradict yourself. You just can't face the fact that someone loves you for who you are."

He leaned closer to her as a shadow crossed his face, his ancient eyes churning. "You don't _fully_ know what kind of man I am," he said in a low voice. "What you see on the outside doesn't do justice for what's inside."

"Well, if you were to just let me in a little more, I _could,"_ Rose told him.

He visibly swallowed hard. "It's not that simple," he said quietly.

"Why? Afraid of what I'll see?" He took a deep breath through his nose. She knew the reason, and yet she still pushed it further. "Oh, I get it. You've been afraid for a while. Even after all this time you've always doubted me_—_doubted _us._ The more close we become, the more you panic. Just like the other night. You were scared at how far we were gonna go, and you backed away."

"That's not_—_"

"No, that's _just_ it. You're a bloody coward."

"That's right, I _am_ a coward!" he screamed, stepping closer. "I've been like that all of my lives, but underneath everything are the things I fear the most, things that I _never_ wanna face again," he tried to calm his voice down. "I would never wanna dump any and all of that onto you 'cause it's just unbearable for another person. I love you too much to_—_"

"Shut up," Rose said in a low, angry voice. "Don't you _dare_ use that as an excuse for pushing me away." He opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off with a louder voice. "No! You've said enough, now it's my turn. You just can't accept the fact of someone getting too close to you and knowing everything that defines you, and you're terrified because of it. Just when things are going good, you panic and run away from everything 'cause _you_ can't handle it. The almighty Doctor, last of the Time Lords_—_a man who can strike fear into the hearts of so many enemies, the man who's always running away, and he can't deal with something that could actually help him along and stop being broken. I'm sick and tired of dealing with your demons when you don't have the courage to face them _yourself."_

The Doctor stared at her wide eyed, her words hitting him hard. Everything she was saying was true, things he admitted to himself. It was almost as if she had read his mind, and each word pained him a little, especially hearing them coming from her; the one who always heals his wounds, the one who trudges along with him in the darkness and lit up his surroundings_—_except now she was done with trying to fix him at the moment.

Searching her eyes, he swallowed hard, knowing full well the gravity of his words were weighing down on him. "Fine," he said calmly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

He shifted on his feet until he was standing straighter and looked down at her hard. "If you're tired, then just stop trying and walk away."

"That's it?" He just stood still and stared hard at her. Letting out a short breath through her nose, she held her hands up in a surrender. "Fine. You wanna live like a broken mess, fine." She turned and started to walk away down the corridor until she came to a stop then faced him again. "Go 'head, run away like the coward you are and slam into a brick wall, 'cause I'm done being strung along by an old, selfish _bastard."_

With that she ripped the ring off of her finger and threw it at him, hitting him square in the face before it fell to the grating. Glaring at her as she stomped away, he growled angrily as he picked it up and looked over his engravings then placed it in his pocket.

Gripping the edge of the console, the Doctor closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, releasing ragged breaths through his nose. Letting out another growl he grabbed the mallet on the side and started pounding it against the console repeatedly until throwing it hard on the other side of the room, connecting with the wall with a loud thud.

The TARDIS made an attempt at nudging his mind cautiously, but he glared up at the ceiling, sending Her away as well.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha sat in the media room catching up with the _Harry Potter_ series by herself. This has been the occurrence as of lately for the last two weeks.

It's been tense and solemn in the TARDIS ever since the heated argument between the Doctor and Rose. Everything that enlivened the place up had ultimately silenced, and whenever something _did_ come up, it only turned into another row over small, stupid, things then escalated into greater personal issues. She first noticed the change when she came out of her room after giving them some privacy to talk out what was bothering them, and it turned out instead of settling their problems by kissing and making up as they usual did, it only escalated into something worse.

When she first saw Rose, she was in the galley drinking some tea with a hardened expression. That was one sign. Then when she found the Doctor, he was pacing around the corridors before entering a room_—_the simulation room, as she had been informed of_—_looking exactly the same and was muttering words in another language. She assumed it was of his home language so the TARDIS couldn't translate it for any of them to understand. Feeling torn that her friends, the dynamic duo, were now avoiding each other as much as possible, and the calmness of the ship had diminished.

Though not entirely as if one of them ended up in the same room as herself, the other would stumble in eventually and just stare at the one already in the room before turning and leaving. But if they both were in the same place, for instance the galley for dinner and whatnot, they didn't initiate any conversation, and when they did it would end up in either a bitter exchange of words or just another row, prompting everyone to leave in an unpleasant mood. Over the last few days, however, she noticed how much more solemn they had become, almost like they both regretted whatever was said yet they still kept their distance.

Martha noticed that the special ring that the Doctor given Rose when they pretended to be a married couple at Royal Hope hospital was absent from her finger. She wasn't too sure if the Doctor had kept his own ring on after the hospital, but even if he did, he'd probably taken his off as well. One morning she noticed Rose coming out of a different room. Not surprisingly they were no longer sleeping in the same bedroom. Whenever they all went out to a different place or planet, they wouldn't even hold hands.

It reminded her of her own parents always bickering and fighting over the smallest things. Even then she was caught in the middle of every squabble just as she was now with the Doctor and Rose. The TARDIS was affected by their terms as well. Her humming sounded sad and Her lights were dimmer than usual. What used to be a ship full of cheerfulness and joy had made a one hundred an eighty degree turn to change into one of depression and all around uncomfortable.

This wasn't the right way to live, especially when it came to those two.

At times she would pat the TARDIS wall or strut to try to communicate with Her. Though She still sounded glum Martha could sense the ship's determination to get them to settle their issues. Martha was no stranger to being a mediator, but every chance she tried to talk to either of them, the other would enter and any and all conversation was chucked away as a staredown or row would commence.

But as they were both of her friends she was going to talk to both of them in private with every opportunity that she had.

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**I know, I know, you're probably cursing me for this angst and wanna slap the Doctor and myself, but I promise it will get better.**


	29. Confrontations

**A/N: As I expected there's a line of people wanting to slap the Doctor. This is still pretty angsty, but not as tense as the previous chapter. ****As always, thank you to the lovely viewers! You all make my days brighter ;)**

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_**Chapter 29: Confrontations**_

Making her way into the corridor, Martha turned until she came across Rose's room. It was easy to identify since there was, not surprising, a pink rose on the door. It used to be placed on anther door along with a circular symbol_—_most likely a Gallifreyan expression_—_indicating it belonged to both her and the Doctor.

Martha hoped she could at least get both of them to talk with her about…well, anything. Over the past two weeks, she hasn't been able to confront them properly, so right now, she was going to give it a shot.

Knocking lightly on the door she addressed herself so Rose knew that it was her at the door, though she'd probably narrow it down since she and the Doctor were keeping their distance. "Rose? Are you decent?"

There must have been a slight hesitation until she responded. "Yeah, hold on." Martha heard a shuffling on the bed followed by approaching footsteps. The door opened and Rose appeared wearing a blue long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants. "What's up?"

"Not much. I was just wondering if you were up for a little…company. Just us girls."

Rose bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. "Sure," she hooked her thumb back into the room. "Wanna come in?" Martha nodded as well before her friend stepped back to open the door wider to let her enter before shutting it behind them.

Immediately upon entering she was struck by a splashing of hot pink walls with matching sheets, pillows, and covers. Laying on top looked to be a scrapbook that she had been scanning through. No doubt she was probably reminiscing on the pleasant memories she and the Doctor shared since…well, they've been trying their hardest to avoid coming within close proximities of each other as of lately.

To the side of the bed was a small nightstand with a lamp and some books, novels of various genres and what looked like informative guides of some sort. A round love seat chair was in the corner next to a dresser, basic items such as cosmetics, knick-knacks and other personal belongings displayed. The en suite was pretty average, or _more_ than average given the size but also basic, just like the wardobe in the other corner of the room.

"Blimey," Martha commented. "It's so…"

Rose made her way back over to sit on her bed. "I know, too bright, innit?"

"No…well, yeah, but it's enlightening," Martha said with a smile.

"Suppose so. It's a replica of my room back at my mum's flat."

"Oh, that's sentimental. You've seen what mine back home looked like, so the one I have here is much better."

Rose laughed shortly, something Martha hadn't heard or seen her do for two weeks. "Believe me, I was never really all spick 'n span either."

Laying down her stomach on the bed she moved over for Martha to sit beside her, propping her elbows up to rest her chin in her hands. She lowered one to flip through the scrapbook, a look of nostalgia on her face.

Martha observed the photos and various pieces of paper and items it contained. "This your family?" she asked naively. Of course these were mementos of her life, but she wanted to start with some light conversation, as painful as it may be, but she was determined to get Rose talking about…anything.

"Just my mum," Rose answered, stopping on a picture of a younger her, probably about ten years old, and a woman identified as her mother. "My dad died when I was a baby, and she raised me by herself." There was a hint of emotion in her voice. "She was the only family I really had." She flipped to the next page and pointed to a young kid with dark skin. "That's my old mate, Mickey. Always was by my side, that one," she said with a chuckle before sighing. "They're both gone now."

"You lost them at Canary Wharf," Martha concluded sadly, remembering when she first met her and the Doctor at Royal Hope Hospital and they said they were there, also when they told her personal things back in New New York. "They're still alive, though. That's good."

Rose nodded. "Yeah. But they're stuck in a parallel world. We can't even reach her anymore."

"I'm so sorry."

She nodded again. "She's happy though, her and Mickey. He got to be with his gran and mum reunited with my dad_—_well, a parallel _version_ of him that's alive, and they're expecting a baby. My little brother or sister." She swallowed, staring at the next picture of herself with her mother and Mickey. "The last thing she told me was that she was proud of me for making my own decisions, proud of me and…the Doctor. We had just accepted our new relationship, and she supported us."

"Just like that?"

Rose shrugged. "Kinda. She's had suspicions of us being together since we met."

She turned the page and stared at another picture of herself standing with a ruggedly handsome man with short cropped hair and big ears, dressed in a leather jacket.

Martha leaned over and pointed at the man. "Who's that?"

A small smile grazed her lips. "That's the Doctor."

"What?" Martha's brows furrowed in confusion. That couldn't be. "How's that the Doctor?"

"Remember when he mentioned back on the ship that there's this process he goes through when he dies?" Martha nodded. "It's called regeneration. When he dies, he sort of cheats death and can change his appearance_—_takes on a whole new body. His morals and memories and whatnot never change, he's the same man just with a different face and mannerisms." She tapped a finger on the picture of the man that was the Doctor. "And this was him when we first met."

Martha shook her head. "That's…that's just so…"

Rose arched a brow. "Alien? I know. Sometimes it's hard to forget, and sometimes it's not hard to miss."

"So…that him…he died? What happened?" Martha asked softly.

"Well…" Rose took a deep breath and let it out as she answered. "We were facing the Daleks, and as you know, it wasn't pretty. It was basically the end of a war, and it was getting worse and the Doctor was panicking, whether he wanted me to notice or not. He sent me away in the TARDIS to go back home while he was left alone with them. And I'm sure you know how I felt about that. Both Mum and Mickey kept telling me that he wanted nothing to do with me, that my life was home with them. But I explained to them what my life turned into after everything he showed me, and that I couldn't leave him. I wanted to make a stand and fight.

"When I tried to get back to him though, the TARDIS was programmed to lock and prevent it from moving. So Mickey ran over to the mechanic shop he worked at and got a big tow truck to pull at the lever to get it moving. But when he kept at it, a part of the console broke open and that's when I looked into the Heart of the TARDIS. I absorbed the Time Vortex and became the Bad Wolf: the one who's created to save the Doctor's life. And that's what I did. I came back to him."

"Then how'd he die?" Martha asked, entranced by the story.

Rose nodded. "I'm almost there. You can imagine his face when he saw the TARDIS come back to him, but he was more surprised when he saw _me__—_well, technically I was _Bad Wolf._ Because I had so much power I was able to defeat the Daleks with a swipe of my hand, ending the war. I saw _everything__—_life, death, what must be, what must not. The turning of the universe was just under my feet and I felt every revolution. I saw and felt everything the Doctor could. But it hurt and was killing me. So he absorbed it all, took it all away, and that's what killed him. Then he regenerated into the man he is now. I was scared at first 'cause he never told me he could do that, but then he proved that it was still him. Just with a different body."

Martha blinked in shock. She'll never understand these two. "Wow," she breathed out. "Now I finally got that joke about Bad Wolf. You're both just full of surprises."

Rose smiled softly again. "That's us."

She then explained everything from their first adventures and friendship with a man called Captain Jack and then everything afterwards, talking about future adventures that took a toll on both of them, from visiting Queen Victoria, who was the creator of Torchwood, to an escapade in the parallel world, to actually encountering the Devil_—_the Beast.

Then she talked about how the Doctor took her to a planet called Noel that was dedicated entirely to Christmas, which became the place where they began their relationship as…well, boyfriend and girlfriend, but it never seemed that way with them. They always seemed much _more. _Then she talked about Canary Wharf and all of the pain it had caused her, and how she had almost became trapped in the parallel world and away from the Doctor.

Martha listened intently and studied her friend as a soft tear slid down her face before immediately being wiped away. Both of those two went through so much together, so much loss, and pain, and through it all, the only thing keeping them going was each other. Everything one did for the other was out of protection and care.

"You still love him," she said softly.

Rose nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly. "No matter how aggravating and irritating he may be at times, that'll never change."

Martha didn't doubt that. Why couldn't the Doctor understand that this woman would do any and everything for him and would never leave him? Maybe he did, but was too scared to really admit it. After hearing what he had did for her though proved how he felt about Rose. It was mutual.

"He still loves you, too."

She turned another page and tracing her finger over a collage of pictures of both her and the Doctor as he was now, wearing vintage outfits and silly costumes. At the bottom was a photo of them dressed in Christmas jumpers and hats standing in the TARDIS library decorated with other various Christmas themed items.

"I know," she whispered.

"Then what's the problem?" Martha asked. "Just seeing you both dragging your feet and not talking is…wrong. Why can't you two just make up like always?"

Rose shook her head. "It's…complicating. He's just…I dunno how to explain it. He's got a lot of issues when it comes to…personal things. He doesn't like getting close to people 'cause he knows he'll eventually lose them all. So he pushes them away."

"But he wouldn't push _you_ away," Martha told her firmly. "He cares too much for you to even try."

"But he always _does,"_ Rose said hard. "It doesn't matter, 'cause he always _does!_ Even when I tried to…" she lowered her head and placed a hand over her eyes. "We weren't ready for…the next level," she added quietly. "I don't know if we'll ever be at this point."

Oh. Martha brought a hand to Rose's back and rubbed softly. She knew what she was referring to. The night when they were getting ready for the party at Lazarus Laboratories Martha had brought up the all too personal topic of their…intimate life. Rose had said that they had never initiated that stage of their relationship just yet. She must have attempted and he backed away.

Oh, that bloody alien. He may not be human, but he was still a bloke.

"Don't think like that," Martha said softly. "What you two have is special, something so many people could only wish that they had." Her included. "You both can be together forever_—__liter__ally._ So much time can be spent between you, can be shared in so many years to come. He may not say it aloud, but he _does_ love you and cares deeply about you. _Both_ of you do for each other."

"Yeah, but he can't even face it."

"Just tell him how you really feel."

"I always do," Rose answered, removing her hand from her eyes. "'S just that…he's not very open. He's like a stubborn five year old. He constantly shuts himself out and broods over everything he's ever done by himself. He lets me in sometimes, but not fully. He's afraid of revealing every one of his secrets, every one of his regrets, everything that defines him to me. I've been patient with him all this time, but…sometimes I wish he'd just let me in a little more."

"Just talk to him," Martha urged softly. "What's stopping you?"

She took in a shaky breath through her nose. "I know you're trying to help, Martha, but…I just can't right now." Closing the scrapbook, she sat up with a sigh and placed it in her nightstand drawer. "Wanna head over to the media room? We can continue our _Harry Potter_ marathon, unless you wanna pick something else."

"Sure, whatever you want," she responded flatly.

Obviously not everything was settled and brought up, but this was somewhat of an achievement. She would try to get to the Doctor later, and maybe just smack him upside the head for…everything.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Much to her annoyance Martha watched the next two _Harry Potter _movies with Rose in the media room until the latter fell asleep on the couch. Looking over at her friend, she thought this was the perfect opportunity to finally confront the Doctor. She hadn't really accomplished much from her talk with Rose, and she was more than certain she'd get almost nowhere with him as well, but she wasn't letting these two live like this.

Slowly getting off of the couch so not to wake up Rose, Martha quietly left the room and entered the corridor. Placing a hand on the wall, she asked the TARDIS, "Do you know where the Doctor is?"

A hum came as a response and sounded like a whisper informing her of his location. This ship has been doing Her best to cheer Martha up in this predicament, though She was also feeling down. She Herself wanted those two to patch up everything, and Martha understood Her impatience.

Saying her thanks, she headed down the corridor until she came across the galley and sure enough, there was the Doctor. He was sitting at the table with his back to the entrance, looking down at something. A delicious smell of a combination of oranges and chicken filled the air as she stepped in.

"Something smells good," she commented.

"Oh, Martha Jones, if only you knew how this tasted," he responded, lifting his head with the faintest forced smile.

Sitting in the seat across from him, she eyed his meal which looked _nothing_ like chicken. In fact it looked anything but edible, as it was a glob of gelatinous orange goop. "Uh, are you sure that's food?"

"Not as such," he said, twisting his spoon around in his plate before plopping it in his mouth. "It's actually a liquid that rises into a more consolidated form when exposed to cooler temperatures. Interesting bit, really."

"So, it's like jello, but…isn't?"

"If you like," he said, taking another spoonful. "Very different from it. Contains different nutrients and comes in varieties of foods. Want some?"

Martha shook her head. "No, thanks." Leaning forward with her elbows on the table, she went straight to the point. "Rose still loves you, you know."

The Doctor pressed his lips together and swallowed as he fixed his gaze at his food. "Martha, don't," he said with a low voice.

"But she _does,"_ she stressed.

"Martha, _please._ What happens between Rose and myself is none of your concern," he told her calmly.

"Just look at you two!" She said with a louder voice. "You're both moping around sulking and refusing to talk anything out. Why can't you understand that everything she did for you over the last, what, two years, she did out of _love?"_

"I _know_ she did," he said with slight irritation. "Don't you think after all this time I'd already know that?"

"Then what's the problem? You're too scared that she loves you too much? Or…that she loves you at all?" He didn't answer her and just kept his eyes downcast. "You know she'll never leave you, right?"

"Of course not," he said quietly. "She promised forever, so of course she'll do everything in her power to keep it." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, though. Longevity of a life doesn't always make it a blessing. She'll leave me eventually, one way or another."

"Do you really think that distancing yourself from her is actually _helping _and not hurting her?"

He sucked in a breath and paused for a moment. "It may hurt now…but she'll come to realize that I'm not someone to be with _forever."_

"But she's someone that _you_ could be with." She leaned over and held his wrists to stop him from fidgeting with his food "She makes you better," she said softly.

"Exactly, that's the problem. She's my cure, but I'm her cancer—she does whatever she can to try to make _me_ better all the while I'm destroying her life day after day."

"What do you mean? She loves you, Doctor. She came back to you when you sent her away and saved your life. She told me. She let go of everything to be with you-"

"That's just it. She didn't just _let go_ of everything, she _lost_ everything, Martha—her family, her friends, her home, her humanism as well as the possible future she could have had. And it was all because of _me._ Now she's stuck with an old mad man in a box. _Forever._ It'll only be a matter of time until she finally understands how much I've hurt her in more ways that one can even fathom, dwelling on everything she's lost and could never get back before it breaks her inside."

He sighed. "In the end, her resentment of what I've done to her will eat away at her, unraveling her until there's nothing left. I don't wanna have to witness that just knowing I was the cause of it. What we're doing now may be hurting us, but it's for the best right now."

Martha studied him. "You're scared of losing her," she said softly. "I get that, but that was her choice. She chose you because she loves you, and would never leave you. Why can't you believe her?"

He lifted his head to finally face her. "Oh, I _do._ Not just that…I believe _in _her, Martha." He gave a breathy chuckle. "Of all of the deities in existence in the universe, out of all of them, she's the only thing that I believe in." He chuckled once through his nose. "Nine hundred years of encountering so many people, so many creatures, so many beings, and she's the _only _thing."

Martha's eyes widened. "Wait, nine _hundred_ years? You're…nine hundred years old!?"

"Nine hundred and two," he clarified before tilting his head. "More or less."

"Wow…" she breathed out. He looked no more than thirty-five. "You really _are_ old," she joked lightly. He chuckled again and smirked. "Hold on, then how old is Rose?"

"Twenty-one…more or less."

Well…that's _quite_ an age gap. "And she'll live as long as you right?"

The Doctor nodded, his voice hollow. "Oh, yes."

"That's _good_ though," she stressed. "That proves that she'll live up to her promise to stay with you, just what you both always wanted."

"But…I've never felt I ever _deserved_ her," he said low. "And she herself deserves _so_ much more. Something _better."_

"But she doesn't _want_ anything else, Doctor, can't you understand that? Yes, you're in pain right now, but how worse would be if she actually left you? But she promised you forever, and intends to keep it. You know it's true." He remained silent and took a deep breath. "Just tell her how you really feel. Even if she already knows you love her, it doesn't hurt for you to say it to her."

"It's…it's just not that…simple," he said with a head shake. "She does know that, but…the term doesn't do justice to how I _really_ feel."

"Okay, then what does?"

"Martha…are you aware that my people were very _different_ than humans?" He said as a matter of factly.

She snorted as she let go of his wrists. "Really? I haven't noticed."

A faint smirk appeared on his lips for a moment before he hesitantly explained. "The thing is…Time Lords…are telepathic, and…we could transfer so many things between others with the slightest thought or touch. And back home…relationships were handled differently." He paused for a moment before continuing. "When we claim a mate, we create a mental link with them—a permanent bond, and it could exceed all feelings for each other. Far more than any human tradition."

"So…these bonds are like…marriages?" Martha asked.

He nodded. "The majority of the marriages were arranged due to political manipulation and for the sole purpose of passing down genetics. Real emotions were restrictions as they proved to be downgrading to our nature." He snorted in derision. "We were supposed to be _above_ things like that, but that wasn't always the norm. I saw a few couples back home who weren't joined for political purposes, but were actually in love. It was…rare. Only a handful of couples disregarded the needs for genetically enhanced traits to be genuinely in love with their mates, and…it was…" he shook his head as he trailed off.

Martha studied his features. He may not admit it but she could tell just by the way he averted his gaze. "You wanna bond with Rose," she said softly. He barely nodded once, keeping his head low. "What's stopping you?"

Licking his lips, the Doctor let out a breath as he stood from his seat and threw out his plate in a nearby bin. "How about some fresh air? Been a little while since we've strolled across a vast land of hills. I've got a place in mind, wanna head out?"

Obviously that was all she would get out of him at the moment. "Sure."

"Good. Go get Rose and meet up in the console room." And with that, he left her alone in the galley.

Rose was right —he really _was_ like a stubborn five year old.

Martha couldn't help but feel high sympathy for both the Doctor and Rose. Though she wanted to scream at them to bring them out of this funk they put themselves in, she understood each of their sides. They each had their own reasons and admiration for the other, and undoubtedly loved each other with every fiber of their beings.

But they both needed an extra push into releasing everything inside of them just aching to be freed, and she'll find a way to do so.

* * *

**Oh, angst. ****You all know what comes next, right?**


	30. The Chase

**A/N: Enter the Chameleon Arch. ****Thank you to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 30: The Chase**_

Setting coordinates on the console the Doctor's mind was buzzing from the conversation he had just had with Martha, the one that was becoming too painful to talk about that he ultimately ended it far later than he had planned to and walked away like always did. _Coward._ That's what he was, and what he'll always be for as long as he lived.

He was beginning to explain the act of bonding, basically nearly admitting out loud that he had wanted it. Never had he thought he'd have the courage to even _mention_ the idea of it to anyone, much less Martha or Rose. Just yet at least. Of course the latter was still keeping her distance from him as he was to her as well, but whenever this…whatever this could be considered was over with, he'd fight the pressuring weight holding him down and finally let it all out before it tears him apart.

Was this considered a break? That word seemed accurate enough for the current situation between them since nothing was really going on. She hadn't made a move to leave, and he hadn't made one to allow her to. They just needed space. Truth be told, he missed her signature warm smile, her small touches, her mannerisms that he adored so much_—_he missed _everything._ For two weeks now he had been longing for her touch, her taste. Basically, he just missed _her_ altogether.

Even the TARDIS was distant in a sense. She seemed to be glum in Her humming, except when She would occasionally scold him every single day for what he had done when it came to letting out his frustrations as a deflection of his fear of bonding with Rose. He regretted hurting her in this way, but maybe this was something they needed for a little bit. He wasn't sure, if he was honest. As always, he would just have to wait it out, just as he's always been doing. Up until the point when he finally tells Rose.

_Rassilon, help him through everything._

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Not much as a surprise Rose was expecting to be brought out of her room at some point to go out of the TARDIS. On one hand it was good for her to get some fresh air since she's been cooped up in her room reminiscing about the pleasant memories she and the Doctor shared, and the mementos of her life. But it was also still a bit…awkward, if she was honest. Deep down, she hoped for this distance thing to end soon because she missed the Doctor, though maybe they needed a little bit of a break. Okay, that was somewhat of a lie to herself, as she _hated_ this whole entire situation. But…she'll just have to keep being what she's always been_—_patient.

Martha walked with her to the console room, where the Doctor was standing by the controls with a hand on the lever. He noticed their presence and turned to them with a small smile on his face.

"Ready?" The girls nodded as he pulled the lever, sending them in-flight.

Surprisingly there wasn't much turbulence as the TARDIS landed smoothly. Running down the ramp the Doctor threw on his coat and opened the door for both girls as he stepped out first. Once they exited they were met with a wide variety of deep blue grass and vast hills with a green sun off on the horizon. From where they stood, the place was bare with slumping trees and fallen flowers grown to become weeds.

"Apadanzo," the Doctor explained. "Deserted planet of the 43rd century."

"Almost looks like a wasteland," Martha commented flatly.

He scratched his chin. "It was all wiped out during a war with a neighboring planet. Fought over an abundance of vegetation and grains. Very similar to Earth, really. Not as much, but still not that different. There once was so many residential areas here, but they were gone. Everyone here migrated off onto other lands."

"Like refugees?" Rose said, instinctively reaching for the Doctor's hand before stopping herself. She couldn't help but notice his own moving towards her as well when he caught himself and shoved both of his in his pockets.

"For the most part."

"Then why are we here?" Martha asked.

"Well, haven't been to this place before. Only heard a few stories about it and how some of the preservatives were kept hidden away safely in a small abandoned shop."

"But I thought you said everyone left," Rose pointed out.

"They did. But every so often there would be drifters around that set up blanket bazaars."

"We're here to _buy_ stuff? It looks like there's nothing here. You can't even hear anyone in the distance."

The Doctor nodded his head forward. "That's why we have to walk there."

As they walked along the fields he went into full on lecture mode, explaining how the planet came to fruition and details about the once great cities, then about the war held here that drove everyone out. It wasn't until they went over a hill when Rose twitched and felt a chill. This wasn't good. A small breeze blew past them and what sounded like breaths of whispers filled her ears.

"What was that?"

She felt the tension radiating off of the Doctor beside her even though they weren't touching. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, prompting her and Martha to do the same.

"I thought I was the only one who heard it," Martha said. "I thought I was going mad for a second."

"No, you're not mad. Either of you," the Doctor said softly. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he perked his ears as he heard a continuous string of whispers in the wind.

_"Time Lord…so much life…longer life…"_

Audibly swallowing hard he squinted his eyes to stare off in the distance and could make out a green swarm of an entity approaching them. Apparently this race hadn't all been extinct since there were a few survivors.

And, of course, that was bad. That's just his luck, isn't it?

Rose noticed the horrified expression crossing his face. "Doctor, what is it?"

"Turn around and run," he said with a low voice, his eyes still fixed ahead.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Back to the TARDIS, now!" He turned and pushed the girls ahead of him and shouted, "Run!"

Soon the whispers grew into screams as they dashed over the fields back to the TARDIS, ducking their heads as explosions surrounded them from zapping sounds of laser shots being fired. One of them came close to grazing Rose in the side, and the Doctor pushed her further to avoid being hit.

Making it to the ship, the Doctor shouted, "Get down!"

Diving inside and falling onto the ramp, he slammed the doors shut as the girls tried to catch their breaths, the shot connecting with the console and creating sparks.

Rose shook her head from the slight wave of dizziness as she stood when the Doctor ran over to them and seized them with a hand on each of their arms, eyes flitting between them. "Did they see you?" he asked frantically.

Martha shook her head. "I don't know!" she cried.

"But did they _see_ you?"

"We were too busy _running,"_ Rose told him, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

His brows hit his hairline, the panic in his voice visible. "Girls, it's important_—_did they see your faces? Either of you?"

"No, they couldn't have," Martha answered.

Accepting that answer he nodded and released them before quickly shrugging off his coat and tossing it over the coral strut, running around the console frantically pressing buttons and flicking switches. "Off we go!"

The girls gripped onto the console hard as the TARDIS lurched into the vortex causing an alert to go off as a warning and the Doctor to let out a string of curses in his native tongue.

"Apparently this place wasn't deserted after all," Rose commented.

"It was _supposed_ to be," the Doctor growled in frustration. Turning to the monitor, he was met with the expectation he had known would happen. "They're following us," he said, pulling another lever.

"How can they do that?" Martha asked. "You've got a time machine!"

"Stolen technology," he explained quickly. "They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "They're never gonna stop."

Turning away from the girls, the Doctor thought hard on some kind of plan, some kind of escape. But that was the problem_—_there wasn't much of a way to run. Bloody Time Agent space hoppers. Oh, how he hated those. These were Hunters on the prowl looking to extend their limited lifespans as they were dying, and they now had a lock on the TARDIS. He could continue to try shaking them off course in the vortex, but they'd only come back thirstier and rip through his beautiful, magnificent ship. She had so many protocols for countless emergencies, but nothing could stop a preying family of Hunters.

"Unless…" he said quietly aloud. _Oh._ He had an idea, one he'd never thought he'd have to ever resort to, but as it seems it was his _last_ resort, and the only way to ensure the girls' safety as well as his own. "I'll have to do it…"

"Do what?" Rose asked.

Turning around to face them, he flitted his eyes between them. "You girls trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Martha said.

"Always," Rose said without hesitation as she nodded.

_Oh, his Rose._ Even when they were distancing themselves and frustrating the hell out of each other, she still managed to assure her dedication to him. He couldn't help but feel his hearts clench in his chest, not only for the mess that they were currently in personally in their relationship, but for the plan he had.

Blinking out of his state, he told them "'Cause it all depends on you two," he said urgently.

He ducked down under the console to retrieve a silver fob watch while Rose asked, "What are we supposed to do?"

Rising up he held out the watch. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. The watch, girls. The watch is _me."_

_Um, okay…_Rose thought to herself. She had her times when she didn't know what kind of nonsensical or confusing things to expect coming out of the Doctor's mouth, but…this?

"Riiiight…that clears it up," she drawled out with much hinted sarcasm and an arched eyebrow.

Martha looked equally confused, and slowly nodded unsure until the Doctor began to walk quickly around the console, causing the girls to catch up to him. "No, hold on! Completely lost!" Martha told him.

"Those creatures are Hunters," he explained quickly, pressing random controls. "They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord_—_well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

Rose shook her head. "What do they want from you?"

"My _life,"_ he answered, making her breath hitch. "They don't live long; I _do._ They want my life force to extend their lifespans, and they'll stop at nothing to get it."

"Oh, wonderful," Rose commented. "Being chased by bloody vampires."

"And the good news is?" Martha asked in the midst of all the madness that this was turning into.

"They can _smell_ me, but they haven't _seen_ me," he said quickly. "And their life's bound to be running out. So, we hide_—_wait for them to die."

A chill shot through Rose. "But you said they can track us down."

Stopping what he was doing on the console, he turned to them with a certain expression on his face. "That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm gonna become human."

_"What!?"_ Rose squeaked in shock. "Y-you could do that?"

He nodded once. "Yes, but it's…complicated. I don't just stop being a Time Lord, I stop being _me__—_whole new persona takes over. It's…only temporary. Not something I could do long term."

Rose blinked after a moment. Never has he mentioned the fact he could actually change himself into a _human._ "Is that gonna hide you?"

"It should. I'll blend in with everyone around me, they won't know it's me."

Was this real? She couldn't believe it for one second, but as usual he wasn't joking. But…if they could smell _him_ since he's not human… "Woah, wait, hold on," Rose cut in. "What about me? Won't they try to find me too?"

"No," he said far too quickly.

"Are you sure? 'Cause my lifespan's extended, too. You said it yourself, they can smell anyone, and I'm not fully human anymore. I'm almost as similar to you, so they could also be tracking me down."

"Yes, but you still hold humanistic qualities. They're biological changes, but your scent isn't as strong as mine," he said, averting his gaze as he moved around the console again.

That wasn't really helping her. There was no way they wouldn't be able to track her down as well. "You're lying to me, aren't ya?"

"Rose_—_" he began with slight irritation.

"You're doing it again! Leaving me aside," she accused.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. "Listen," he said calmly. "This is the only way_—_"

"But if I'm in just as much danger as you, shouldn't I turn as well?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I won't let you."

_Of course not._ "Too bad," she told him with an arched eyebrow. "I'm capable of making my _own_ decisions."

"I'm aware of that, but you _can't_ go through with this, Rose," he told her firmly. He heard the TARDIS humming in his mind to protest, but he brushed Her to the side.

"Well, then _you_ shouldn't either," she retorted.

"No, I _have_ to do this_—_"

"What if I don't _want_ you going through with it, huh? What're gonna do then?"

Suddenly the Doctor slammed a hand flat against the console and stared hard at her. "Stop! Just…don't. For once, can't you _listen_ to me? I'm not gonna argue about this. I'm not letting you go through with it_—_this is only necessary for me, and me_ only._"

Rose let out a mirthless chuckle. "Sure, 'cause _you_ have to be the one to save yourself without anyone else's help."

He growled in frustration and looked over at Martha. "Excuse us for a moment, Martha." Reaching over, he grabbed Rose's upper arm and gently tugged her down the corridor, walking at a fast pace.

"Oh, all of a sudden you're worried about causing a scene?" Rose asked him.

Not answering her, the Doctor led her to their room_—_actually right now, it was back to being just _his_ room, given their 'break.' Opening the door, he stepped in first and released her from his grip. She stared at him as he paced around his bed with a hand thrusted in his hair.

Shutting the door, Rose walked over to him. "How come you never told me that you could become human?"

"It's not really a choice I'd make," he admitted. "If…_when_ I go through with the process, everything that I am will be hidden away, and I become…someone else."

"So…you'll be a stranger?"

He tilted his head as he turned to face her, dropping his hand from his hair. "Not…necessarily. I'll be another person, but I'll still be _me,_ just not…_Time Lord._ It's how I can be able to keep my scent hidden."

"How long will you be like that?"

Swallowing hard he let out a deep breath. "Well…since the Family of Hunters are chasing us at such a fast rate, they haven't got much longer to live. They're like mayflies." He scratched his sideburn with a single finger. "At the most, I'd say three months should be good."

Rose's eyes widened. "Three _months?_ What are me and Martha supposed to do in that whole time?"

"The TARDIS can take care of that…mostly," he replied. "Since they locked onto Her trail, they could easily rip through Her despite Her defenses, so She'll have to lay low in that time to keep Herself hidden as well. She's gonna create a human persona for myself and integrate me into society at one place and time, and you two are gonna have to find a way to do the same on your own. She'll provide you with bags full of necessary items relevant to the place she chooses."

Rose nodded. "And…the watch? What's that about?"

"The fob watch is made especially for the Chameleon Arch_—_the machine that'll perform the process of making me change. It preserves my Time Lord consciousness as my mind becomes that of a human's and can't contain such power," he took it out of his pocket and stepped up to her, holding it out in his hand. "I'm trusting _you_ specifically for keeping it safe, Rose. When the time is right, you'll know what to do with it."

Looking down at the watch, Rose noticed the Circlur Gallifreyan scripture engraved into the metal. Was she really hearing this? She would basically have to live three months without him. Of course, it'll still be _him,_ just…_not _him. He'd be a human, a whole other _person._ They may have been in the middle of issues and keeping themselves at arm's length as of lately, but she couldn't stand to sit around in one place for that long without him.

"How does it work, this Arch?"

He inhaled a shaky breath. "Well, I've never done a thing like this before. From what I've heard about it, it'll be extremely painful_—_some said it was worse than regeneration."

"You don't want me to go through any of that. But…Doctor, I don't care about any of that. None of the pain would matter to me_—_"

"Please, Rose," he cut in gently. "I know you mean well. I know that you're being considerate as you always are, but I'll never forgive myself for making you suffer through that." He swallowed hard.

_Bad enough you've already been suffering through everything else I've put you through,_ he added in his mind.

Taking the watch gingerly from him, she flipped it open to see a basic clock inside, ticking. "What about me, then? How can I stay hidden?"

"Already have you covered." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. "It's a simple olfactory misdirection," he lifted her unoccupied hand and slipped it around her wrist. "Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose, so to speak. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy." Taking out the sonic, he clicked the clasp shut so it wouldn't fall off of her. "Safety precautions. Your scent isn't as strong as mine, so this should be able to mask it."

Once again, the TARDIS came into his mind. "_The Wolf could still be at risk,"_ she hummed. _"She will have to make the change."_

_"No, she won't. It's better this way,"_ he said through their link.

_"Some misdirections turn around and become visible."_

_"I've modified the settings up to maximum. She should be safe."_

_"There are still risks. She could still be detected. I could protect the Wolf myself."_

_"I trust that you would, but you've got enough work already to take care of. I'm not letting her go through any of that."_

Rose was unaware of the conversing between them as she inspected the bracelet. Just like the fob watch, it had small inscriptions of Gallifreyan on it. Looking back at him, she realized something.

"But…if you're gonna change into a human, you won't remember us," she said quietly.

A tiny smile grazed his lips. "Oh, Rose Tyler, I'd _never_ forget you," he said softly. "No matter what, you'll always be somewhere in here_—_" he tapped a finger to his temple before lowering his hand to his chest, patting the space between his hearts. "_—_and in here." His voice sounded far more broken than he wanted her to hear, but it was true. And if…no, _when_ they were to bond_—_or at least try to see if it was possible_—_as frightening as it was, he'd be glad to have her fill his entire mind when the moment came.

Holding the watch in her palm, Rose moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his hearts. The gesture was a bit of a shock to him since they haven't come into contact with each other for two weeks and caused them both to shiver but he returned it almost instantly and stroked her hair and back soothingly.

"Three months," she repeated quietly.

He nodded against her head. "That's all." Pulling back, he brushed a stray hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. "I'll be back in no time," he whispered.

"I know," she said, releasing her arms from him.

"Now remember when I change, you'll have to somehow integrate in the society yourself," he reminded. "While the TARDIS will take care of mostly everything, go take anything else you may need. Anything basic_—_extra pair of shoes, brushes_—_small things like that." She nodded again. "Okay. Both you and Martha do that while I prepare the machine."

"Okay. Do it before they catch up to us," she said.

Nodding once more he took the watch from her then went over to his door and held it open for her to walk through first and watched sadly as she went down the corridor to her room. "I'm so sorry, Rose," he whispered quietly to himself.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha stood by the console patiently waiting for the Doctor and Rose to come back. Not to her surprise another row would've begun. They hadn't had one all day, which was odd for them in their current state. All she hoped for was for this whole Family ordeal to be fixed quickly so that those two could work out their problems and reconcile.

The Doctor finally emerged from the corridor looking somewhat calm. Maybe they had a little bit of progress, and that gave Martha some hope.

"Alright. Now Martha, the TARDIS will prepare some bags for in your wardrobes to take with you," he told her.

"It's like an odd holiday," Martha commented flatly.

He nodded. "I'm sorry for this. Go check and see if there's anything else you may need. I have to do some more preparations before the change."

She nodded and headed off into the corridor. Not knowing exactly where they were going to be, she decided on taking simple items such as brushes and toiletries. After a few moments, she met up with Rose in the corridor as they went back into the console room to find the Doctor rising from the jump seat. Walking over to the console, the Doctor pressed a few buttons until a machine lowered from the ceiling.

"Never thought I'd use this," he said, watching it descend. "All the times I've wondered…"

"What does it do?" Martha asked as it came to a stop above the jump seat.

"Chameleon Arch," he explained. "Re-writes my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human." He took out the watch and he fit the object into a slot on the side of the machine.

"What about Rose? She's not fully human."

"She'll be fine," he assured quickly. "Her scent isn't as strong as mine. I've supplied her with an olfactory bracelet that'll keep her hidden." He ignored the buzzing in his mind from the TARDIS once again as he continued explaining. "Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything_—_invent a life story for me, find me a setting, and integrate me. Can't do the same for you two, you'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."

As he prepared the instrument, Martha tried to comprehend it all. "But…hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell…isn't it going to hurt?"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Oh, yeah. It hurts."

"So, how long are you going to…not be you?"

"Three months should do it," he said. "They're like mayflies. Within three months, they'll be dead, and I can come back." Once the machine was prepared for the process, he turned back to the girls. "Right. Guess I'll see you in three months." He went over to Martha and gave her a hug. "Take care, Martha. Thank you." When he turned to Rose, he placed a hand on the side of her face, "I'll see you soon," he said softly.

"Not if I see you first," she told him before pulling him in a tight hug, not wanting him to let go. She leaned up and kissed his cheek and he shivered inside once again. How he missed their warm embraces.

He placed a soft kiss of his own to her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "Remember to keep the watch with you."

"I will."

Pulling back, the Doctor inhaled a shuddering breath as he sat down on the jump seat and fitted the Arch on his head and flitted his eyes between the girls. "You two should leave the room," he told them. "I have a feeling this won't be pretty."

Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly.

Martha stood beside her. "Me neither."

Seeing as there would be no reason to argue, not to mention that there wasn't much time to do so with the Family on their trail, the Doctor sighed. "All right, but whatever you do, do _not_ stop the process once it's started," he informed. "And don't come into contact with me immediately after. My body'll perform its own actions on its own accord, so just let me go, got it?" Both women nodded as Rose tried her best to calm her stomach down from its twisted state. He pressed his lips together and moved a finger to the side over a button. "Here we go. Allons-y."

With that he sucked in a breath then pressed the button, setting on the machine…and causing Rose's chest to ache.

All she could do was watch in horror as the Doctor's agonizing screams pierced through her ears, his body convulsing as he held onto the Arch with a death-grip and his eyes screwed shut tight. Martha wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her through the scene. Shutting her own eyes so she wouldn't have to witness it, she knew without a doubt this image would be burned into her mind just like the horrid incident when the Torajji sun infected his body regardless.

For what seemed like forever the machine made a whirring noise, and his screams eased into silent groans. Opening her eyes, Rose saw his body slump in the jump seat before his hands slid off of the Arch and then falling to the floor grating as the TARDIS landed smoothly. Both girls walked over to him and saw that he was alive, just unconscious. He said not to touch him right after, so Rose tried to resist the urge to pull him into her lap.

After the argument that led them to take a break from their relationship, she'd fought the urge countless times to want to run back to him and hold him with such ease, but seeing him as he was now, all she wanted to do was hold him in her arms.

The TARDIS alerted them that he was about to wake up. Taking the cue, they ran off to stand in the corridor and watched from afar. Inhaling a deep breath he sat upright slowly before standing to his feet then headed out of the door. He grabbed a bag at the end of the ramp and went out into the world, almost mechanically and oblivious to his surroundings.

Once he was gone, Rose choked back on a sob as she went over to the Chameleon Arch and pulled out the fob watch from the slot. She inwardly gasped when she heard a whisper that sounded like the Doctor's voice: _Keep hidden…keep safe._

They heard a zapping sound as two other bags were set against the wall. Looking back at Martha, she placed the watch in her pocket and simply said, "Let's see where we'll have to hide for the next three months."

* * *

**Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.**

**Response to newboy: You're spot on! That's exactly the reason. ;)**


	31. Human Nature Part 1

**A/N: Finally on Human Nature, here we go! ****There are _soooo_ many directions this arc could go in, it kind of overwhelmed me. But this is what I stuck with, so hopefully you enjoy it. ****Much, much love to all of the lovely viewers!**

* * *

_**Chapter 31: Human Nature Part 1**_

_Two months later_

Rose sat alone at the main desk at the library, flipping carelessly through some random book from the side that a young boy had returned_—_late she might add_—_and dismissing any of the information and plot inside of it. Not that she disliked literature, because she always had an enjoyment for it. Every now and then she'd lay around in the monumental one located in the TARDIS and choose from the wide variety of options.

How she wished she could do that now.

It's been about two months since the Family of life-sucking Hunters have chased them down with intentions of consuming the Doctor's lifespan to extend their own as they were living on their last legs and about to die. Because of this, the Doctor needed to hide away from them, and made himself human to disguise his Time Lord scent. The TARDIS continued to help as She integrated him into one time and place before keeping Herself hidden as well.

The point in time that She chose was England 1913. The Doctor's new persona was that of one Dr. John Smith, a history schoolteacher at the Farringham School for Boys. It seemed appropriate given his knowledge even though his Time Lord mind was absent until further notice. Martha came in as his house maid to go along with the certain era, while Rose managed to become the school's librarian.

_Definitely better than being a dinner lady,_ she thought positively.

This school's library was a poor comparison to the magnificent and splendid one in the TARDIS with wall-to-wall shelves that led up to the ceiling, somewhat resembling the one from '_Beauty and the Beast,'_ and often smelled of bananas or some other delicious scent. The one here was _nowhere_ near that level as it was very old fashioned with an equally old, musty odor. Not as appealing.

Of course, she couldn't wait until this whole situation was over. Two months had gone by fairly quickly, but not fast enough as they needed to lay low for one more. So far it's been simple around here, and every so often both she and Martha would check up on him. He'd always expect to see the latter since she was his maid, but whenever he caught sight of the former he would always be polite and kind to her, acting like a true gentleman_—_not to mention he'd make his rounds in the library every so often.

Good thing too, since he saved her from being smashed by bookshelf when they got here. That seemed to be the case with first meetings with them. The day she met him, he saved her from her job at the shop_—_which _he_ blew up_—_and now that he was a human, he saved her from a falling bookshelf, also caused by _him._ And of course he made a joke about her being jeopardy friendly. This man may not really be the Doctor, but he still had some of his traits.

All she wanted to do was be around him. Being within his proximity felt warm albeit a little strange since this man wasn't _the Doctor_ \- he was _John Smith._ But he assured her before he changed that it was still _him._Conflicting as it was, she just couldn't wait until three months passed so everything could go back to how it was and maybe their differences could be settled.

A familiar sound of footsteps came into the room, prompting Rose to raise her head from the book she was ultimately inattentive to. "Good morning, Tim. Need something?"

Young Timothy Latimer was a kind, young boy who would visit the library often to retrieve books for assignments. But he also would look for a safe zone as he was bullied by some of the senior students mainly because of his brilliance. Rose assured him that he was more than welcome to visit if there were any problems and could always talk to her. More than once has she scolded the boys who antagonize poor Tim, but apparently they didn't get the message properly. She'll get the point across, though, one way or another.

Tim placed a book on the main desk ready to get checked. "Just this, Miss Tyler," he said.

Pushing her own book to the side, Rose went right to work and checked his book out, which was some kind of historical informative read. "Hmm. Seems kinda boring, huh?" He smiled as she finished. "There we go," she said, handing it to him.

"Thank you, ma'am. Good day."

"And you," she responded with a smile as the boy walked out and to his class. Before she could resume flipping through her book absent mindedly, the matron entered. "Looking for someone, Nurse Redfern?" she asked.

The woman was a matron to the school who Rose had come across on more than one occasion in the halls_—_and somewhat of a priss, if she was honest. "Not as such, but as I'm currently free for the moment, I took it upon myself to wander. And please, I've told you before that I wouldn't mind you calling me Joan, at least when I'm not around any of the boys."

"Only if you call me Rose when I'm not around them," she said. "'Miss Tyler' seems too…formal."

"That it is, but it comes with the job, doesn't it?" She took a second to study her appearance. "Just like the dress code."

Rose smoothed out her outfit_—_a tailored look complete with a basic white lace blouse, a black pleated skirt, and some flats. "Yes, I'm not too fond of these outfits but since I'm going to be working here, then I'll have to blend in."

"Well, I must say it's very suitable," the matron said.

Another sound of familiar footsteps approached and they belonged to Martha. "Excuse me, Matron, but one of the young boys have fallen in the outfields and scraped their elbow on some rocks. He's in your office."

Joan nodded. "I'll be right there." She turned back to Rose. "I must get back to work."

"Troublesome boys, right?"

"Indeed. Good day, Miss Tyler." With that, the matron left.

Martha rolled her eyes and leaned her arms on the desk. "One month to go, and I'm still feeling completely useless."

Rose furrowed her brows. "What, why?"

"I'm a doctor…well, sort of. I'm so used to helping people who are injured, and I'm stuck being a maid."

Poor Martha. It's been hard for her being in such an era. "I know, but it'll go by fast, don't worry. If it'll make you feel any better, I could easily fall down the east side stairs just so you could patch me up like you did after I missed being flattened by the bookshelf," she joked.

Martha snorted. "Yeah, thanks for the offer, but you'd heal in a few hours just like you always do."

Rose chuckled for a second before shaking her head. "Seriously though, these posh people are just so…" she trailed off trying to find the right adjective.

"Annoying?" Martha supplied.

She nodded. "Very." These three months couldn't pass fast enough.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

John Smith exited his classroom with a handful of books in one hand that have yet to be returned and a long cane in the other. Ever since arriving here with such ambitions of molding the young, thriving minds of these young boys at this prestigious school, he couldn't help but feel proud at some of the fast learners here. Of course, like any other class, there were a handful of students disregarding knowledge.

Maybe with some more time each of these boys will prove to be bright young men in the coming future.

Walking past the library, he couldn't help but stop and notice Martha talking to one Miss Tyler, who was doing her job as a librarian and not being crushed by bookshelves.

Something about that woman was amusing and…indescribable. But in the good sense. Not only was she entirely smart with historical events, but she was a wonderful acquaintance. Also with her being a librarian, she knew of wonderfully written pieces of work. He couldn't help but muse over the fact that she loved the works of Charles Dickens, which he himself was very fond of.

Striding in, John nodded at the young boys who exited the room before walking up to the main desk beside Martha. He smiled at her before placing the pile of books in front of Miss Tyler. She looked down at them then arched an eyebrow at him.

"Another pile, Mr. Smith? That's the third time today."

"That's not my intention," he told her. "Some of the boys are careless and forgetful when it comes to deadlines."

She chuckled once and began to check the books one after the other. "It seems to be the trend around here."

He let out a chuckle of his own. "That it is."

She raised a curious brow at him. "Every day?"

"Well…this is a large school filled with aspiring young lads that can easily discard means of learning. It's unfortunate since they don't follow the basic principles." He paused for a moment. "Not to mention I'll have to keep an eye out for any falling bookshelves around you."

"Thankfully they've been steady and it only happened the one time," she joked, setting the books to the side as she checked them back in.

"Can't be too careful," he said.

"You should take your own advice, Mr. Smith, since _you_ were the cause of it."

He scratched his sideburn. "Well…that wasn't my intention either, I assure you."

Miss Tyler laughed. Watching her as she worked on the books, he studied her face intently. Every night for two months since they've both arrived coincidentally at the same time he would see her in his dreams. Always an adventure, and she would always be there with him. He always forgot them in the morning, but made sure to write them all down in his journal.

There was something…special about her, and he couldn't figure out what. In the back of his mind, he could sense it. She was a mystery, and he was entranced by her presence. It felt like a…schoolboy crush, but somehow more than that. What was it about this woman that made him feel so…young and giddy?

"Hello? Mr. Smith?"

Blinking his eyes, he realized he was staring at her. "How rude of me, forgive me. I was…ehm…" he shook his head as his ears began to burn.

"Off in another world?" she guessed.

"Uh, well…I suppose so," he said, hoping his ears weren't too dark of a shade of pink.

She nodded. "It's perfectly fine. It's normal. I do it myself. Imagination is the key to success, yeah?"

"That it is," he agreed. "I guess it's a given with our occupations. What with the many situations that can happen at any given moment, you can create your own worlds, think about what could have happened, what might happen…" he trailed off. Why was it when he came around this woman his mind decided to forgo any thoughts for an intellectual conversation?

"Interesting," she replied. "Of course with literature, you could create the endings yourself."

He leaned over on the desk and told her. "One person can change the course of history, Miss Tyler. The right idea in the right place at the right time is all it takes."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Nice philosophy." Setting the last book on the stack she smiled at him. "There we go, no more forgotten books_—_until the next time."

John chuckled. "Sorry to inform you that I've yet to require some others for my study."

Miss Tyler rolled her eyes playfully and joked, "Oh, you just love putting me to even more work, don't ya?"

He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll try to keep the quantity fairly low today."

Walking away from the main desk he moved over to the shelves and chose from a large selection of literary works ranging from Shakespeare to Twain, and maybe about several other authors. Once he finished he struggled with the stack of books as he carried them over to the desk…and almost walked into another teacher entering the library.

"Oh, my apologies! So sorry," he said as he made his way to check them out. He could've sworn he heard Miss Tyler giggling at his antics, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard.

Placing the pile on the desk, Miss Tyler laughed. "I'll admit that this actually _is_ a lesser amount than usual. You keep this up, there won't be any left for the boys," she said lightly.

"If it's any consolation, these will most likely be done by tomorrow morning," he replied.

"Quite the bookworm, you are."

He made an affirmative hum and smiled as she finished checking his books. "Thank you once again," he said, grabbing the stack in his arms.

She shrugged. "Just doing my job."

"Well, you do it brilliantly," he complimented before bowing his head out of respect. "Good day, Miss Tyler."

"Good day, Mr. Smith."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Instead of standing by the main desk, Rose took it upon herself to sit at one of the wooden tables, holding the fob watch in her hand and tracing the Gallifreyan script on the case. It was very late in the night, so no one was meant to be in here. They were all most likely sleeping cozily in their cots dreaming pleasantly. If only she could be among them.

For the last two months, she hadn't really had a good night's rest. Granted, she really didn't need to given her advanced genetics, but a kip every once in a while would be nice. The problem was that whenever she shut her eyes, the only thing she'd hear were the screams of the Doctor when he used the Chameleon Arch to change, his body convulsing in pain. Before all of that, they shared a soft moment with each other, though frantic and sad as it was, it was the first physical contact they made with each other in two weeks.

_"What about me, then? How can I stay hidden?" Rose asked._

_"Already have you covered." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. "It's a simple olfactory misdirection," he lifted her hand and slipped it around her wrist. "Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose, so to speak. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. Safety precautions. Your scent isn't as strong as mine, so this should be able to mask it."_

_"But…if you're gonna change into a human, you won't remember us," she said quietly._

_"Oh, Rose Tyler, I'd_ never _forget you," he said softly. "No matter what, you'll always be somewhere in here__—__" he tapped a finger to his temple before lowering his hand to his chest, patting the space between his hearts. "__—__and in here."_

_Rose moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "Three months," she repeated quietly._

_"That's all." Pulling back, he brushed a stray hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. "I'll be back in no time," he whispered._

_"I know."_

How she missed him. He stressed that he wouldn't let her go through the painful process of the Chameleon Arch, but none of that mattered to her. Still, he assured her that she was safe with the bracelet on. She kept reminding herself that there was only one month left of hiding away. But what would happen to them? As much as she still was a little furious at him from that argument from months back, she couldn't stand the distance.

Staring at the watch, Rose traced her thumb over the silver case, the whispers continuing. _"Soon, Rose. Soon."_

Just hearing his voice as _the Doctor,_ and not John Smith was calming, which sounded barmy since they were the same person…sort of. Speaking of which, he's seemed to inherit the Doctor's infatuation to her as he continually had conversations with her over random topics ranging from history to literature, he's stopped by in the library every so often to return forgotten book, which she believed were just the ones he kept in his study and used it as an excuse to see her.

It was…adorable, if she was honest. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward around him since he was a different man with the same face as the man she loved. Odd as it was, all she could do was wait patiently for one more month. By now that bleeding Family had to have been close to dying by now. Pretty soon this facade will end.

Standing from her seat she decided to head out and make it to her room to at least attempt to get some rest. Feeling a slight twitch in her stomach, she just assumed it was from not sleeping. There was nothing to worry about, she was safe with the olfactory bracelet.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_"Get down!"_

_The Doctor shouted as he, Rose, and Martha dove down as a laser shot connected with the console and creating sparks. He shut the doors and ran over to the girls, seizing them with a hand on each of their arms._

_"Did they see you?" he asked frantically, his eyes flitting between them._

_Martha shook her head. "I don't know!"_

_"But did they see you?"_

_"We were too busy **running**," Rose told him._

_"Girls, it's important__—__did they see your faces? Either of you?"_

_"No, they couldn't have," Martha answered._

_Accepting that answer he nodded and released them before quickly shrugging off his coat and tossing it over the coral strut, running around the console frantically pressing buttons and flicking switches. "Off we go!"_

_"Apparently this place wasn't deserted after all," Rose commented._

_"It was **supposed** to be," the Doctor growled in frustration as he turned to the monitor. "They're following us," he said, pulling another lever._

_"How can they do that?" Martha asked. "You've got a time machine!"_

_"Stolen technology," he explained quickly. "They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "They're never gonna stop. Unless…I'll have to do it…"_

_"Do what?" Rose asked. _

_Turning around to face them, he flitted his eyes between them again. "You girls trust me, don't you?"_

_"Of course I do," Martha said._

_"Always," Rose said without hesitation as she nodded._

_"'Cause it all depends on you two," he said urgently._

_He ducked down under the console to retrieve a silver fob watch while Rose asked, "What does? What are we supposed to do?"_

_Rising up he held out the watch. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. The watch, girls, the watch is__—__"_

John's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion as he was unaware of his location. Looking down at himself and around the room, he noted that he was in his striped pajamas and in the bed in his study. After a moment the dream had drifted away. That seemed to be the occurrence since he's arrived at this school. Every night was like a new adventure on a different planet and in a different year_—_past, present, or future_—_and they seemed so realistic. It was…odd. Sitting upright he let out a small yawn as he rubbed his eyes. Turning his legs to hang off the side of the bed he made his way to stand up when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called out.

The door opened and Martha came in wearing her usual maid's outfit and carrying a breakfast tray and a newspaper. The moment she entered, her eyes widened as she paused and made her way to leave.

"Pardon me, Mr. Smith, you're not dressed yet. I can come back later_—_"

"No, it's alright, it's alright," he quickly assured as he stood and threw on his dressing gown. "Put it down," he said kindly. Martha nodded with her eyes lowered as she walked over to the table in the center of the room and set the tray down. "I was, uh…sorry, sorry. Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams," he blurted out. Curse his gob. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

"What about, sir?" Martha asked politely, moving to open the curtains and bring in the sunlight.

"I dream that I'm this adventurer…this daredevil, a mad man_—_'The Doctor,' I'm called. And last night, I dreamt that you were there…as my companion. And Miss Tyler was there as well, as my…" What was she? "…other companion." Yes, that's what she was, but it seemed to be…more than that.

"A teacher, a housemaid, and a librarian? That's an odd combination, sir," Martha commented.

He tilted his head. "I'm a man from another world, though."

She froze in place for a moment. "Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing."

Maybe so, but his dreams were far from the ordinary and seemed too real.

"There was this…watch," he continued on with his previous dream, walking over to his mantle. "It was actually quite similar to the one Miss Tyler carries…" He raised his chin in wonder. Interesting. He glanced over at Martha and shook his head with a grin. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I _do_ remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of our Lord 2007."

"I can prove that wrong for you, sir," Martha said with a smile. She picked up the newspaper under the food try and handed it to him. "Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November 10th, 1913. And you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

Looking over the paper, he smirked and hummed. "That's me_—_completely human."

"Did you say that Miss Tyler was in your dream as well?" Martha asked curiously.

He folded the paper and swallowed. "Oh, um…yes. _Both_ of you were there as my companions." He waved a hand. "T'was only a dream."

Martha smiled. "Well, I must get to work. Good day, sir."

"Good day, Martha," he said as she left his room.

Dropping the paper on his desk, he scrubbed a hand over his face. Why'd he have to mention any of that out loud? While his dreams proved to feel all too real, he knows many of these people around here would perceive him as some fantasy filled man in his own little world with his head in the clouds. Although…they _were_ entertaining stories.

The one he had just woken up from was interesting indeed, but he couldn't get one from when he first arrived here out of his mind. Something about…Christmas, it had been. He had spent the holiday with Miss Tyler on a Christmas _Land._ It was beautiful. One of those dreams where he felt a longing to taste the sweetness of her kiss, feel the smoothness of her creamy skin_—_

_Wait_ _a_ _minute…what?_

Okay, now he knew he was _way_ over his head to conjure up such inappropriate thoughts about a fellow colleague. How could someone give off such an effect on him? How ever she did it, he couldn't stop thinking about her for some reason. Whatever it was, this Rose Tyler seemed to be very special. He's never felt like this with…well, anyone.

Maybe she's not just _anyone_?

Shaking his head, John lifted up a pear from his food tray, studying it. Did he like these? He didn't even know. Setting it down, he grabbed an apple instead and ate his breakfast so he could get ready to teach his class.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Are you sure?" Rose asked Martha who ran into the library when the boys went to their classes.

She nodded. "He said that he had a dream about us and that watch, and I could've sworn that I saw a few sketches laying around."

"Sketches? Like drawings?" Martha nodded. That's interesting. After two and a half years of traveling with the Doctor, she'd never known he had artistic abilities. Unless, it was only in this regeneration. Or…maybe it only applies to John Smith. No matter the reason, this can't be good. "Do you think he's been dreaming about us the whole time we've been here?"

"I dunno, it's the first time he's said anything," Martha answered, leaning against the desk. "Is it time to open the watch?"

Rose shook her head. "Not yet. It hasn't been three months, so we'll just have to wait it out."

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the watch, hearing it whisper, _"Wait, Rose…keep hidden…"_

She looked back up at Martha. "The Doctor said that we'll know what to do when the time is right, and right now we just have to wait. If he's only having dreams, then we should be okay."

A small grin appeared on her friend's face. "I'll bet he's been dreaming a lot about you."

Rose's eyes widened. "Oh, God," she breathed out.

"That's still good, isn't it? I mean…he still thinks about you even if it's not really him. That shows just how much he cares about you."

She only responded with a sigh. Knowing him he probably was this whole time. Before he had changed, he assured her that he'd never forget her no matter what, so it was a possibility. It both warmed her hearts before hurting them at the same time. If they were back on the TARDIS and not in hiding from this situation, would they be smiling at each other and communicating normally, or would they remain avoiding each other and keeping their distance?

Martha noticed her slight uneasiness and reached out to place a hand on her arm. "When this is all over, just talk to him," she said softly.

Taking a deep breath, Rose nodded. "Let's just keep focusing on what's going on now. We'll have to keep a closer eye on him."

"You'll be just fine since he's always strolling around in here," Martha said.

She chuckled. "Yeah, lots of times I don't even think he needs all of those books."

Both girls chatted for a few more minutes talking about some of the other teachers and colleagues in the school until the classes were dismissed.

"I've gotta go," Martha said flatly. "Jenny and I have to scrub floors."

Rose saw her displeasure and lightly reminded her, "Just one more month."

Martha laughed. "It can't pass quick enough," she said as she left the library. Making her way into the halls and down a flight of stairs, she found Jenny, another maid, by the stairs with two buckets of water and sponges. Smiling at her, they each chatted about random people in the school as they were on their knees scrubbing the wooden floors.

She caught sight of a familiar pair of legs walk past them. Glancing up, she greeted John. "Morning, sir."

"Yes, hi," he said distractedly, holding various papers in his hands before he climbed up the stairs. They could be for his upcoming class, or for sketching later on. If he kept dreaming about Rose, then he undoubtedly drew a portrait of her. Maybe multiple ones. It was sweet.

"Head in the clouds, that one," Jenny remarked as he disappeared, "Don't know why you're so sweet on him."

Martha smiled. "He's just so kind to me, that's all. He and Miss Tyler. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being…" she trailed off. This was a hard era for her to stay in for sure.

"A Londoner?" Jenny guessed.

_Close enough._ "Exactly," Martha said with a laugh. "Good old London Town!"

"Though I must say that Mr. Smith seems to be pining over Miss Tyler."

"Oh…well, they're very nice people."

Jenny smiled. "It's a surprise he ain't falling head over heels for her. It's almost as if they've known each other for a while."

_Oh, how true._

Two senior boys, Baines and Hutchinson, walked over to them as they worked. "Ah, now then, you two. You're not paid to have fun, are you?" Baines said as if he had some authority. "Put a little backbone into it!"

"Yes, sir," Jenny said with a hollow voice, eyes fixed on the floor. "Sorry, sir."

Hutchinson eyed Martha. "You there, what's your name again?"

"Martha, sir. Martha Jones," she said.

"Tell me then, Jones_—_with hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?" Both boys laughed mockingly at her before leaving.

"That's very funny, sir," Martha replied snarkily.

"Careful now, don't answer back," Jenny warned as she continued scrubbing.

"I'd answer back with my bucket over his head," she responded.

Jenny laughed. "Oh I wish! Just think though, in a few years time boys like that will be running the country."

"1913," Martha replied quietly, knowing far too much about the events coming in this time period. "They might not."

One more month. She can deal with it.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Class ended and John was about to make his way down to the library to return the still fairly large amount of books. He had promised Miss Tyler he'd have them back by the morning since he was a lover of literature and could have them all read by then. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't lying…not fully. There were a few of which he hadn't got to, but he thought it best to return the majority of the ones he had. Gathering them in his arms, he carried them in a tall stack and struggled for a moment. Perhaps he _should_ try to lessen his amount more. He made it a few steps until he heard someone greet him from behind.

"Good mornin', Mr. Smith."

He turned at the sound of Miss Tyler's voice, causing the book at the top of his stack to fall to the ground. He made an attempt to stop it with his foot and failed.

"Here, lemme help you," she said as she moved to retrieve the book herself.

"No, no, I've got it," he assured her, trying to figure out how to accomplish just that when he's got the pile still in his arms. "Um…ah, just got to…retrieve…" _This wasn't working._ "Ah, if you could take these for a moment…" he said, handing her the stack.

"Yeah, sure."

He bent down and retrieved the fallen book and straightened up with a smile. "There we go. No harm done."

"Maybe you'll rethink your whole book borrowing system," she told him.

"Maybe I should," he agreed with a nod, staring at the book in his hand. "Ah, _Hamlet._ Such an amazing piece of work. Nothing like a good tragedy by one William Shakespeare."

"Not a fan of any of his comedies?" Miss Tyler asked.

"Oh, of course I am. Who doesn't like a good comic relief? I take it you prefer those types, yes? The ones with the happy ending?"

"I guess so," she answered. "His other works like _As You Like It_ and _Much Ado About Nothing_ are more of my style, but when it comes to authors, I have to say that I love my Dickens."

His smile widened. She was amazing. It's no wonder why he was so fascinated by her. "Another great man indeed."

"Uh, I'm still holding your books," she reminded him.

His eyes widened and his smile dropped. "Yes, so you are!" He quickly tried to gather them from her arms. _How could he be so rude?_ "Sorry, sorry. Just let me_—_"

"No, how about if I take half?" she suggested. "More convenient, yeah?"

"Ah, brilliant idea," he said with a head nod. Doing so, he took away the top half of the stack in her arms. "Perfect! Division of labor," he proclaimed.

"We make quite a team," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "Don't we just?"

Miss Tyler glanced down at her pile. "So, let's get these checked back in."

She began to head in the direction of the library, but he stopped her. "Oh, um…sorry, I was hoping to keep a few of them in my study for a little bit longer."

"Why, Mr. Smith, you've mislead yourself," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, I have. This way," he turned around and gestured ahead of him for her to go first. "After you." Let it be known that he always had his manners. As they walked down the hall, he continued to speak. "I must say, Miss Tyler, you are the most dedicated librarian I've ever seen. Most ironically have no interest in works of literature, but not you."

"First compliment I've heard," she mused. "And it's not impossible to love it. So many worlds and creations."

John hummed. "Oh, yes. Like having your dreams put on paper." Whoops.He did it again.

"I've done that before, when I was little," Miss Tyler told him. "Just created pictures of my imaginary characters."

"Have you?" Interesting. With the extraordinary dreams he's been having, they'd do wonders.

"What kind of dreams have you had?" She suddenly asked.

_Oh__._ _Had he said that out loud? How could he have born with such a gob? _Though this woman's imagination could be as vast as his. Maybe she would be interested in the wild fantasies he's been living for the past two months. Although…she may look at him like he was someone in need of psychiatric help.

"Well…I will say that they're things you would never believe, Miss Tyler," John said with a smile.

"You don't have to keep calling me 'Miss Tyler,'" she told him kindly. "It's just too formal. We've known each other for two months, so please, just call me Rose."

He tilted his head and tried it out loud. "Very well…Rose." Not usually the type to use such titles, he felt it suited her just right.

She smiled. "See? Sounds better, eh John?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Yes, it is." Typically he'd only prefer to be called by his first name when he was more familiar with someone. Although he had only known this woman for only two months, he felt a certain familiarity when around her.

Rose herself was feeling at peace…somewhat. It was still odd being around the Doctor_—_no, _John Smith__—_since he was his opposite. It felt almost as if nothing serious happened between them before now, although she still felt a slight pain in her heart from all of this.

Just as John was about to describe some of his dreams they encountered Nurse Redfern. "Oh, hello Mr. Smith, Miss Tyler," she greeted.

"Hello Nurse Redfern," Rose said. "Free period?"

"At the moment," she answered. "Jenkins came down with a cold, nothing serious. I think he's missing his mother more than anything."

"Aw, can't have that," John said with sympathy.

"He received a letter this morning, so he's a lot more chipper."

"That's a relief," Rose responded. She understood that all too well, missing her own mum. At least the boy could communicate with her unlike she could herself.

Making it to the stairs Joan stopped as she noticed a flyer on a headboard. "Have either of you seen this? The annual dance at the village hall tomorrow. It's nothing formal, but rather fun by all accounts," she turned to them and smiled shyly. "It's been ages since I've been to a dance, only no one's asked me."

"Seriously? I'm sure there's someone here that'll be happy to take you," Rose said kindly.

"We'll see. Do you think you'll go?"

Rose's cheeks burned. "Oh…I hadn't thought about that."

"Neither have I," John admitted hesitantly.

It's also been a while since she danced as well. She felt way too daring at the moment. Maybe it was just reminiscence to all of the times she and the Doctor had danced around the console or on some planets. Or maybe it was just a need to be in his company after being distant with each other back on the TARDIS.

Awkward as she felt inside, she couldn't stop herself from asking John, "Would you like to go, John?" _God, that sounded desperate_.

His eyes widened and she could've sworn his ears turned a light shade of pink as he stammered. "Well…I…"

"If…you're not busy, that is," Rose added shyly.

_How could he answer her?_ He'd be delighted to attend her to the dance, but there was a slight problem_—_he wasn't entirely certain that he could dance at _all._ Rose looked to be someone who could most likely keep a perfect rhythm to beautiful music, but he could very well embarrass her as well as himself. There couldn't be a worse way to be humiliating.

Clearing his throat, John attempted to give her straight answer, but ultimately failed as figeted in place. "Oh, no…well, I'm, I mean…there's no reason why you shouldn't go…I…even if I do, then I would...um, I mean I wouldn't want to_—_"

"The stairs," she cut in.

"—make a…" _Wait, what did she say?_ "W-what about the stairs?"

"They're right behind you, watch out!"

But of course he didn't process her warning quick enough as he turned his head and fell backwards down the flight of stairs sending the piles of books as well as some papers flying in the air. He landed at the bottom flat on his back with a grunt.

"Ow…" he said flatly.

Apparently there _was_ another way he could embarrass himself in front of Miss Rose Tyler.

* * *

**Response to Doctor who: Hello fellow fangirl! :D Awww, that's so flattering! Thank you so much! *intense blushing* I'm glad you're enjoying this ;)**


	32. Human Nature Part 2

**A/N: The last episode of Broadchurch 2 comes on tonight but the only way I can watch it is online, and I can't do it until tomorrow, and I'm very impatient. Anyway, many ****thanks to the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 32: Human Nature Part 2**_

Trying her hardest to suppress a giggle Rose managed to hide her smile behind her hand as she watched Nurse Redfern tend to John's wound on the back of his head after his little spill down the stairs. She was a little annoyed by the matron as she had came over to them just as the Doctor_—__John__—_was about to describe his dreams to her. Of course it wasn't the woman's fault, but Rose couldn't help but notice how the woman looks at him. The last thing she needed was someone chasing after her man. Well…_John_ wasn't hers, but _the Doctor_ was…but they were the same…

This whole thing was still confusing to her, but she wasn't letting another woman come close to him. While she knew this was serious, it could prove to be risky since he was remembering past events, and she was still curious to know what exactly he saw and felt.

Standing by his side, she saw the scowl on his face as he wasn't too keen on being taken cared for like a child. He was probably more embarrassed about how he acquired such a scar and caused her to giggle.

He grumbled and grunted as the matron patched him up. "Stop it. I get boys causing less fuss than this," she told him.

"Yes, but it _hurts,"_ he whined.

"Oh, come on," Rose said, not bothering to hide her smile. "It could've been worse, yeah? Could've broken somethin'."

Suddenly Martha ran into the room as the door was opened wide. "Is he all right?"

"Excuse me, Martha," Joan said with the type of judgemental posh voice that Rose hated. "It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."

Martha looked like she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, right, yeah." She ran back out into the hall and knocked on the open door before entering again. "But is he all right?" she repeated as she glanced at John. "They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

"No, it was just a tumble, that's all," he said sheepishly.

Rose snorted. "Oh, it was _more_ than that. He flipped backwards down the stairs with books and papers flyin' everywhere." She turned to him. "And you call _me_ jeopardy friendly."

He chuckled. "I suppose that makes us even."

Martha smiled at them before asking Joan, "Have you checked for a concussion?"

"I have," she responded. "And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."

"Sorry," Martha said surprisingly with a calm face, but Rose could tell she was fighting the urge to snap at the woman. "I-I'll just…tidy your things."

_Oh, that was so rude,_ Rose thought. If only Joan knew how brilliant Martha was with medical knowledge. After this is over, she deserves to be treated to somewhere nice for putting up with these posh, snobby types.

"So, John," Rose began, trying to get back on topic as she sat down next to him. "You were about to tell me about your dreams."

His brows raised. "Ah, right! They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding…"

_Uh, oh._ "Hiding?" She asked curiously, fighting the shaking feeling in her stomach. "From what?"

John shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's…almost every night…" he trailed off and laughed nervously. "This is going to sound silly_—_"

"You can tell me," she assured with a small smile.

He nodded once and shifted in his seat to face her fully, disregarding the matron's presence. "Well, I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

_Another red flag._

"Well then, I can be the judge of that," Joan said as she reached in her bag and pulled out a stethoscope. Moving to to his side, she put it on and placed it against his chest.

Rose held her breath as the matron checked both sides of his chest. When she glanced at John, she caught him staring at her with an amused expression before he lowered his gaze shyly. She couldn't help but inwardly blush at him. He was just so smitten like a little boy. It was adorable.

"I can confirm the diagnosis," Joan said, removing the stethoscope. "Just one heart, singular."

"Could've come in handy if you did have two," Rose blurted out lightly.

John chuckled. "I've…written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction," he paused for a moment. "Um, not that they would be of any interest_—_"

"No, please. I'd love to see them," Rose said nicely.

He smiled as he stood up and fixed his suit jacket. "Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone before," he said shyly as he led her over to his desk to retrieve his journal - only to find it not in its place. "Oh, no." He lifted his many piles of empty papers and books as he searched for his journal. How could he have misplaced such a simple leather bound book?

Straightening up, John turned to face Rose with a sheepish expression. "It appears that I have…misplaced it."

Rose smiled politely. "Too many books around here, I wouldn't be surprised."

Trying to hide his frown, he tilted his head. "I'm very sorry for my disorganization. Perhaps another time?"

She nodded. "Sure. I have to leave anyway," she picked up a pile of books from his desk. "I've got some to put away of my own. I'll see you later, John."

"Right. Until next time, Rose," he said with a small smile as she turned and left.

"Mr. Smith, is this what you were looking for?" The matron asked from the side.

Turning around, he saw his leather bound book in her hands. "Yes, it is! Where'd you find it?"

"It seemed to find its way under your bed," she answered.

"What a place for it to be," he said sheepishly. It's a shame Miss Tyler wasn't here to finally see it. He had a feeling she'd have some enjoyment out of seeing what things came from his mind.

"Would you mind if I had a look?" Nurse Redfern asked.

John blinked a few times. "Um, no, no. Go right ahead."

"'_Journal of Impossible Things'_," she read aloud before opening it and turning the pages slowly as she observed his sketches. "Just look at these creatures! Such imagination."

"Mmm. It's become quite a hobby," he said, looking over the many creatures in the book.

"It's wonderful…and quite an eye for the pretty girls. Is that…Miss Tyler?" she asked with disbelief pointing to one of the sketches.

"Oh, no, no, no," he said quickly as he looked down at the page. "She's just an invention, this character. I haven't decided what to call her." _Her name is Rose,_ he answered in his mind.

"She closely resembles our librarian," Nurse Redfern remarked.

_That's because it is her._ He studied it thoughtfully before saying casually, "I suppose they bear some resemblance, but that was unintentional."

Martha watched him from the side as she fixed up his messy stack of books on the shelf. She could easily see his eyes softening as he studied his artwork, more specifically the sketch of Rose. Human or not and with differences between them personally in their normal lives, the Doctor still had her in his thoughts and loved her deeply.

"Ah, that's the box. The blue box," he continued. "It's always there like a…like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to faraway places."

"Like a doorway?" the matron asked.

He nodded and hummed. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true."

"If only," the Matron responded.

Martha inwardly sighed. How she missed that life. Just one more month until they're free from this isolation.

Looking back over to John who had a wondrous glint in his eyes, he chuckled. "It's just a dream."

_Oh, if only you knew how real it was having all of Time and Space at your fingertips,_ Martha thought to herself.

Nurse Redfern placed his journal back down on his desk. "Thank you for showing me, John," she said kindly. "I'll be taking my leave."

John nodded. "Good day, matron."

"Please, call me 'Joan'. At least when I'm not around the boys."

He tilted his head. "Fair enough. Good day, Joan."

As the matron left she pulled Martha to the side. "Who is he, Martha?" the matron asked quietly.

Martha looked at her warily. "I'm sorry?"

"It's like he's left the kettle on. Like…he knows he has something to get back to, but he can't remember what."

She chuckled nervously. "That's just him."

"You arrived with him, though, didn't you?" Nurse Redfern asked. "He found you employment here at the school, isn't that right?"

"I used to work for the family," Martha answered quickly. "He just sort of…inherited me."

"Well, I'd be careful. If you don't mind my saying, you sometimes seem a little familiar with him. Best remember your position." With that she turned and walked away.

"Yes, ma'am," Martha muttered irritably. She _really_ couldn't wait to get out of this place.

It was pretty obvious that the matron was interested in John Smith, and it's not hard to see why; he was a debonair gentleman with a magnetic aura that drew people to him. Of course he was similar to the Doctor while _very_ different. But only one woman was on his mind, human or not, and it was Rose, just as it always will be. Martha was fortunate that was the case because there were already enough issues between the two of them and his human form fawning over another woman would make matters worse. Luckily this whole time she's seen Rose the happiest she's been in a while despite everything that's been happening.

She just kept hope that when this is all over they can return to their joyful loving selves and they can all go back to their old lives.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"She _would_ be the one who finds it," Rose muttered.

"Yeah, but she didn't take it with her to look through it more," Martha told her. "The moment she saw a sketch of you she turned and left."

"Huh."

Martha arched an eyebrow at her. "That's all you have to say?" Rose shrugged. "Well, you know what else? She said I'm getting too close to him."

"So rude," Rose commented.

Martha snorted. "Tell me about it.

"Like we haven't noticed how _she_ looks when she's around him," she snorted. "Posh, prissy snobs."

Martha can sense the tension coming off of Rose and it's understandable. She's been the Doctor's…'more than just a girlfriend but less than a wife' for years and committed herself to him, so of course she'd be a little possessive.

"Still, he only thinks about _you_," she told her.

Rose rubbed her forehead. "I figured he would," she said quietly.

"That's a _good_ thing, Rose, believe me. It means that he always thinks about you even when it's not him."

"Yeah…we just have to keep a close eye on him with these dreams of his."

"You know what? Jenny asked me earlier if we could hang out later tonight," Martha mentioned. "Come with us. It'll be better than standing in a stuffy library all day and night," she said with a laugh.

Tilting her head, Rose considered it. "Yeah, okay. I could do with some fresh air."

Later that night, Rose and Martha headed over to the nearby pub where Jenny insisted they join her as she sat outside. It's been a while since Rose had hung out with other women besides her friend on the TARDIS, so it was nice to get out and have some girl time. Though it was odd to want to hang out on a cold, November night, but it was a chance to get out of the stuffy school. Martha ran inside the pub to fetch three pints of beers while Rose sat down with Jenny.

"Ah! Miss Tyler, so glad you could come out!" the maid said happily.

"Please, call me Rose when I'm not in the school," she told her, pulling her jacket closer for warmth.

Jenny smiled. "Sure thing."

Martha arrived minutes later, carefully placing the pints on the table. "Oh! It's freezing out here!" she cried, taking her seat beside Rose. "Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"

Jenny waved her hand. "Now don't be ridiculous," she laughed, "It's all very well those Suffragettes, but that's London, that's miles away."

"But don't you wanna scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave?" Martha asked. "Don't you just wanna tell them?"

"I dunno," she said with a shrug.

"Come on, Jenny," Rose cut in. "You can stand up for yourself. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you can't take matters into your own hands."

The maid simply laughed. "Things must be different where you two are from."

"Oh, definitely."

"Thank God we're not staying," Martha remarked.

"You keep saying that," Jenny said, taking a sip from her beer.

"Just you wait. One more month and we're as free as the wind," Martha said with wonder. "I wish you could come with us Jenny, you'd love it!"

"Where are you gonna go?" Jenny asked.

"Anywhere," Rose answered with a smile as she looked up at the stars. "Everywhere." She pointed up at the sky. "Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars. Seeing places you could never believe existed."

Jenny laughed. "You don't half say mad things!"

"That's where we're going," she told her. "Into the sky, all the way out."

The maid laughed again leading the others to join her before raising their glasses and clinking them together and taking a swig. Rose had never felt so carefree in a while. She's actually been in a fairly good mood since they've arrived here despite the fact they were in hiding.

After a moment she felt a twitch and her eyes widened. _Oh, no._ Looking up in the sky she saw a green light flash as it shot by, prompting Rose to stand up. That…definitely was not a good sign.

"Did you see that?" Martha gasped.

"Yes," Rose said shakily.

"See what?" Jenny asked, confused.

"Did you see it though? Right up there, just for a second."

Jenny turned her head and looked up at the sky. "There's nothing there."

The chill that shot through Rose certainly wasn't from the cold wind blowing by. Could that be the Family? The sound of running footsteps came from behind her. Turning around she saw Nurse Redfern approaching them.

"Matron, are you all right?" Martha asked.

"Did you see that?" Joan gasped. "There was something in the woods…this light_—_"

"Anything wrong, ladies?" The women turned to find John coming out of the pub and up behind them, wearing a long coat and holding a hat in his hand. "Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There!" Rose cut him off as she pointed up. "Look in the sky." Another flash of green light shot by.

"Oh, that's beautiful," Jenny commented.

Once the light disappeared again, John informed, "All gone. Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all," he said casually.

Yeah, that was no _meteorite_. But, she would humor him. "You seem to know much of the topic for a history teacher."

He smiled at her and tilted his head. "Well, you'll find that I'm actually quite familiar with many topics other than just history, Rose."

She couldn't help but smile back at him and roll her eyes. He may be a human, but his Time Lord ego was still intact.

"It came down in the woods," Joan said with a frown.

"No, no, no," John interjected "They always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school." He looked over his shoulder at the women. "Ladies?"

"No, we're fine," Martha answered distractedly as she and Jenny kept their gaze up at the sky.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," he said kindly before turning to Rose. "Miss Tyler?"

"Oh…"

As much as she enjoyed being in his company after being distant in the times before this hiding in seclusion situation, that green light wasn't normal, and needed some investigating. But…she saw some kind of hopeful glimmer in his eyes, one similar to that of the Doctor's.

She went over to Martha and whispered, "Be careful. We don't know what it is." When Martha nodded, she turned back to John. "Sure I'll come."

A warm smile spread on his face as he placed his hat on his head and walked the matron and Rose back to the school. After a few minutes another twitchy feeling hit her insides. Whatever that green light was, it most definitely wasn't normal. If it turned out to be the Family…well, the Doctor told her when the time was right, she'd know what to do, so she'll just wait.

The entire way back to the school, John began to talk about various topics ranging from literature and astrology. Rose couldn't resist testing his knowledge on the stars. More than once did he stop and point up and talk of constellations. He was so much like the Doctor while still at the same time…not. Conflicting as she felt inside, she couldn't help but admire the man.

Once Joan was dropped off at her study, John led Rose up another flight of stairs to her own. "Thank you," she told him as they made it to her door.

Taking off his hat, he bowed his head in a gentlemanly manner. "The pleasure was mine, Miss Tyler," he said kindly.

She chuckled. "John, I told you that you can call me Rose."

"Sorry, it's just a habit," he said scratching his sideburn with his unoccupied hand. Rose noticed how many of the Doctor's mannerisms would slip through and couldn't help but smile inwardly. How she missed him.

"Oh!" John exclaimed. "I almost forgot…" he reached in his coat and pulled out a leather bound book. "My journal's been recovered."

Rose laughed. "Lemme guess, it was buried behind your many books?"

He tilted his head. "Ironically no. But since you were interested I thought you could…" he trailed off when he cleared his throat. "I wouldn't mind if you were to hold onto it for a little bit. It's only appropriate since I was irresponsible for losing it the first time when you wanted to look through it."

Smiling at him, she took the journal from his hands and read its title out loud. "'_Journal of Impossible Things_.' Such a straightforward title," she commented.

He made an affirmative hum. "Makes sense if you were to read them."

"I look forward to, I like the impossible. Thank you, John."

Studying him, she couldn't resist as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. When she met his face again, she could've sworn she saw him blush in the dim moonlight streaking from the back window, causing her to do the same. She smiled lightly.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rose," he said softly before turning on his heel and leaving her in her room.

Closing the door, she let out a sigh before plopping down on her bed, the journal held close to her chest. She really wanted to stay with Martha and investigate the green light, but she couldn't resist going with John. _He wasn't the Doctor_, she kept reminding herself.

Well beings as she was already here, maybe she could finally get some sleep. That's what she's needed for a while.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha figured that Rose would go with John not only because the matron was there and she had been fawning over him, but because…well, she wanted to keep a close eye on him to see if he spilled anything else out about his dreams or anything relevant to the Doctor.

Once they left, she took the time to investigate the mysterious green light that streaked the sky. "Jenny, where was that?" She asked the maid. "On the horizon, where the light was headed."

"That's by Cooper's Field," Jenny answered. Without hesitation, Martha ran towards the direction of the light, hearing the other woman call out behind her. "You can't just run off! It's dark, you'll break a leg!"

Barely registering the woman following her, Martha ran across the field until she ran out of breath. All she found was a wide open field and no sign of anything odd.

"There you are," Jenny panted out as she caught up. "Nothing there, I told you so."

"And that's Cooper's Field?" Martha asked.

"As far as the eye can see, and no falling star. Now come on, I'm frozen to the bone, let's go. As your Mr. Smith says, 'Nothing to see'." The maid walked away, but Martha didn't follow right away as she gazed up at the sky and over the field one more time. If it was the Family, then they had to be ready.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Unsurprisingly sleep wasn't expected as Rose hadn't been able to rest, which was the same occurrence almost every night for the last two months. It's hard to rest peacefully without the calming hums from the TARDIS. How she missed both Her and the Doctor, and couldn't wait for this last month to pass.

She was able to scan through John's journal and was amazed at how talented he was. The sketches were clear and detailed pretty accurately from coming out of remembrance of dreams. Daleks, Cybermen, and Slitheen were amongst the many creatures drawn out, some of which she had never seen before. That wasn't all. He's mentioned her name countless times, describing how brilliant she was, as well as stubborn at times, but his admiration was clear.

But what shocked her was that she hadn't come across any portrait of herself like Martha had mentioned, only words. Maybe he kept it separately? Not that it mattered since this man wasn't the Doctor, but she couldn't help but wonder what became of it.

When morning came, she left the library during a free period and headed out to the hut located not that far behind the school. Stepping inside, she was met with the beautiful ship that was her home. Every so often she'd pay a short visit away from anyone's attention to check on the TARDIS. She walked in, admiring the sound of the familiar creaking of the door as she looked around the console room. It was dark and gloomy with the faintest reassuring hum of welcoming that She would always send. Every time she came in here all she could see was the painful image of the Doctor writhing and screaming in agony during the process of changing into a human. She could still feel the tears burning the backs of her eyes and ache in her heart from recalling the unpleasant scene.

_"But…hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell…isn't it going to hurt?" Martha asked._

_The Doctor raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Oh, yeah. It hurts."_

_"So…how long are you going to…not be you?"_

_"Three months should do it," he said. "They're like mayflies. Within three months, they'll be dead, and I can come back." Once the machine was prepared for the process, he turned back to them. "Right. Guess I'll see you in three months." He went over to Martha and gave her a hug. "Take care, Martha. Thank you." __When he turned to Rose, he placed a hand on the side of her face, causing her to shiver inside. "I'll see you soon," he said softly._

_"Not if I see you first," she told him before pulling him in a tight hug, not wanting him to let go. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. How she missed their warm embraces._

_He placed a soft kiss of his own to her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "Remember to keep the watch with you."_

_"I will."_

_Pulling back, the Doctor inhaled a shuddering breath as he sat down on the jump seat and fitted the Arch on his head and flitted his eyes between the girls. "You two should leave the room," he told them. "I have a feeling this won't be pretty."_

_Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly._

_Martha stood beside her. "Me neither."_

_"All right, but whatever you do, do_ not_ stop the process once it's started," he informed. "And don't come into contact with me immediately after. My body'll perform its own actions on its own accord, so just let me go, got it?" __Both women nodded as Rose tried her best to calm her stomach down from its twisted state. He pressed his __lips together and moved a finger to the side over a button. "Here we go. Allons-y." _

_With that he sucked in a breath then pressed the button, setting on the machine…and causing Rose's chest to ache._

She closed her eyes as she tried to block out the heart wrenching images and cries of pain that escaped from the Doctor, but to avail, they still rang in her ears. Patting the time rotor she smiled sadly up at Her. "Hey, Old Girl," she said softly.

Her response was weak, which was a given as She was put on emergency power to hide away. No doubt She couldn't wait for this whole thing to be done and over with too. It's been a while since She's been in a cheery mood, what with the relationship issues between the Doctor and herself.

Keeping her hand on the rotor, Rose reached in her pocket and pulled out the fob watch, tracing her thumb over the Gallifreyan script. Another hum filled her ears as She sensed the Doctor's essence in the object.

"I miss him, too," Rose said as she put it away.

She heard the door creak behind her and turned to Martha. "Hello," she said, both to her and the TARDIS.

"Hey. Sorry I left you last night."

"It's okay," she waved with her hand. "There wasn't anything around anyway."

"Nothing with the green light?" Rose asked.

Martha shook her head as she came around the console "Nothing at all. Jenny seemed to handle it all pretty well, but no, there wasn't anything. D'you think it was the Family?"

Rose shrugged. "Dunno." She eyed the monitor and saw the many sticky notes with Gallifreyan symbols on them. _Why can't he write everything in English?_ "Maybe the Doctor left us something to help."

Turning the monitor on, a recording started. The Doctor came on-screen and sat on the jump seat.

_"This working?"_ He tapped the screen a few times before continuing. _"Girls, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One: don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two: don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just…let it hide away. Four__—__"_ he stopped and looked away. "_No…wait a minute,"_ he looked back at the screen. _"Three: no getting involved in big historical events. Four: you two. Don't let me abandon either of you. And fi__—__"_

Martha reached over and pressed a button to fast forward the recording while Rose snorted. Of course the Doctor would ramble on with his many protocols.

"I'm bettin' he even mentioned something about pears," Rose said lightly.

"What?" Martha asked.

"'S nothing. Pears are like poison to him."

"Why, are they deadly to Time Lords?"

"No, he just hates them," Rose responded. "They're actually forbidden from being onboard."

Martha snorted. "Oh, good. 'Cause I've been giving him fruits with his breakfast, and pears were included a few times."

"Well, if we're lucky, he hasn't eaten any. He'll never forgive us for that."

Martha chuckled before turning serious again. "But there was a meteor_—_a shooting star. What are we supposed to do then?" She pushed play and the recording continued.

_"And twenty-three: if anything goes wrong…if they find us…then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there."_ His eyes softened for a moment. _"I'm trusting you to keep it, Rose. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch that the nice blonde woman has. But don't open it unless you have to, because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. __And Rose…" _His eyes softened as if he were looking directly at her._"Remember your bracelet. If you open the watch and they come, don't worry. I've maximized the settings, so they shouldn't be able to locate you. __Just…be careful. It's all down to you, girls. Your choice."_ He went off screen for a second before sitting back down. _"Oh, and…thank you both,_" he added with a small smile as the recording ended, freezing on his face.

Rose couldn't help but smile sadly at the image. "I wish you'd come back," she said quietly.

Martha placed a hand on her arm. "I know. Me too."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Both women made their way back inside the school_—_Martha returning to her maid duties and Rose to her desk at the library.

Upon entering she noticed a messy pile of books thrown carelessly on the main desk. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. _These boys. _Striding over she gathered most of the books in her arms before turning to return them to their places on the shelves…and accidentally bumping into one of the boys, causing all of the books to fall to the floor.

"Oh! Tim, I'm sorry," Rose apologized as she bent down to retrieve the books. "I didn't know you were behind me."

"Sorry, Miss Tyler, that was my fault," Tim said, helping her pick up the books. "I should be more careful."

Standing back up, Rose smoothed out her skirt before gathering all of the books in her arms. "'S alright. No harm done, it was an accident. Did you need anything?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Mr. Smith gave me the name of a book that I have to collect."

Taking the paper, Rose unfolded it and read the title out loud. "'_The Definitive Account of Mafeking_' by Aitchison-Price. Well, that sounds cheery, eh?" she said with a chuckle, making the boy smile. "I'll go check for you," she said as she walked to the back of the library.

_"Time Lord…hide yourself."_

Tim looked around in confusion as a whisper suddenly appeared in the room.

_"The time is coming…"_

It sounded familiar, like…Mr. Smith. Trying to find its source, he saw an old fob watch laying on the ground by the main desk. Drawing himself towards it, Tim picked it up. Opening the watch, a golden light poured out and showed a reel of images_—_one of which appeared to be a glowing Miss Tyler surrounded by…wolves?

_"Bad Wolf…stay safe."_

Before he could decipher their shapes, Tim heard the librarian coming and impulsively stuffed it in his pocket.

"That man might as well take the entire library," she said with a laugh. She made it back over to the desk and noticed his fidgeting. "Everything all right, Tim?"

He nodded and swallowed. "Yes, ma'am."

She accepted his response and continued to speak. "Okay, just making sure. One of the boys had a cold, so you'll have to be aware of your surroundings. And you know you can tell me anything if something's bothering you."

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."

Miss Tyler gave a small smile. "Good. Now about that book - it seems that Mr. Smith checked that one out himself. He has a habit of collecting near the entire library." Tim nodded but didn't respond, keeping his lips pressed together. A crease formed on her brows as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tim? You sure you're feeling okay?"

At contact he saw a vision come to him, showing a figure that appeared to be Miss Tyler bathed in a golden light and shining like the Sun.

"Tim?"

Shaking his head, Tim nodded. "Pardon my ignorance, ma'am. I'm just feeling a little tired."

The librarian smiled. "It's fine, Tim. You're a bright young man, so that's understandable since your mind's always working." Tim smiled back at her. "Now, you'll have to retrieve the book from Mr. Smith, I'm afraid."

"Thank you, ma'am," he said with respect as he hurried out of the room, the watch in his pocket continuing to whisper. What was this about?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

As he arranged his books on the back shelves of his study, John couldn't fathom exactly how disorganized he really was. It's no wonder he had misplaced his journal yesterday. At least he knew where it was now and need not worry about it. He wondered if Miss Tyler had a chance to look inside of it yet. She seemed highly interested in reading about his wild fantasies that he just had to let her borrow it last night. Shamefully he had torn out some of the more…personal adventures such as the Christmas Land scene. As pleased as he was that she wanted to scan through it, he didn't wish to overwhelm her with the few dreams he's had with them…together.

Not to mention he had wanted to create a better portrait of her, one that came from the source itself and not just from memory_—_which seemed pretty accurate if he said so himself. He couldn't get the image of her appearance last night out of his mind; her flushed cheeks from the bone-chilling cold night air, her eyes twinkling like the stars in the sky as the moonlight shone on her face, her lips becoming a darker tint of pink with every second_—_

A knock at the door pulled him from his musings as he placed the last book in its appropriate section before moving to the door, opening it to find Timothy Latimer waiting.

"Good lad, what can I do for you?" John asked.

"You told me to collect that book, sir," Timothy answered.

John arched an eyebrow at the boy. "I did, which was why I told you to collect it from the library."

"I just came from there. Miss Tyler said that you checked it out yourself."

"Have I? It seemed to slip my mind." He gestured for the boy to enter. "Come in." Moving to his desk, John fixed up a stack of papers. "Yes! '_The Definitive Account of Mafeking_' by Aitchison-Price, where did I put it?" He glanced up at Tim with an arched eyebrow. "As you're here, I've been meaning to have a little word_—_your marks aren't quite good enough."

"I'm top ten in my class, sir," Tim informed him.

"Now, be honest, Timothy, you should be the _very_ top. You're a clever boy, but you seem to be hiding it." He moved over to his book shelves. "Where is that book…? And I know why," he called out. "Keeping your head low avoids the mockery of your classmates. But no man should hide himself, don't you think?"

Mr. Smith continued rambling on, but Tim didn't register his words as the strange whispers came back. "Yes, sir…" he said distractedly as the professor continued his lecture.

Reaching in his pocket, Tim pulled out the watch as the whispers became louder.

_"Time Lord…hide yourself…"_ He looked up to see that Mr. Smith hadn't heard them. Now that he kept hearing them himself, Tim swore that the voice sounded like that of his teacher's. _"The secret lies within…"_

Flipping it open again, the golden light shone out once more._ "I'm trapped…"_ the voice continued. _"Caged inside the cogs.…kept in the dark, but waiting…"_

Tim narrowed his eyes_. _What was this?

With his peripheral vision, Tim noticed Mr. Smith making his way from his bookshelves and quickly snapped the watch shut before pocketing it.

"Fascinating details about the siege," Mr. Smith said, holding the book in his hand. "Really quite remarkable…" He eyed Tim oddly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, sir," he said automatically. "Fine, sir."

Mr. Smith arched a brow and studied him. "Right then. Good." He held out the book as he added with encouragement. "And remember: use that brain of yours!"

Tim placed a hand on the book to take it, but once he made contact, flashes of images came to his vision. This time he was able to make out their shapes_—_it was Mr. Smith, but he was very different. He was dressed in a pinstriped suit, his face full of intensity and something…more, as he wielded a silver device with a glowing blue tip.

_"Power of a Time Lord."_

Blinking his eyes the images faded as he shook inside from the overwhelming reels. "You're really not looking yourself, old chap," Mr. Smith commented. "Anything bothering you, or…?"

"No, sir," Tim said shaking his head. "Thank you, sir." Glancing up at his teacher, all he could see was the face of the man from the watch.

Taking the book he hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him. Running up the flight of stairs he stepped into an empty dormitory. Sitting on the bed, he tried to calm his beating heart before pulling out the watch.

_"Keep hidden…"_

Taking another deep breath, Tim hesitated for a moment to prepare himself for the flash of images to pour out from the watch. Popping it open, he gasped as he saw various inhuman creatures that could have been seen in nightmares and stories fill his vision, followed by the man in pinstripes.

Closing the watch, he blinked a few times as the images faded once again. Tim had no idea what power this watch contained or what any of those visions meant, but all he knew was there was more to Mr. Smith than meets the eye.

* * *

**Response to _random fangirl:_ Sorry about that heartsbreak from a few chapters back lol Thank you so much! You're really too kind! Much love! *hugs* **


	33. Human Nature Part 3

**A/N: Human Nature will be in _four_ parts. ****This chapter was originally longer, but since I'm working on the Family of Blood chapters I've split it up. ****As always, much love to all of the lovely viewers! If you need me I'll just be over here silently crying over the end of Series 2 of Broadchurch. On the bright side, there _will_ be a third series.**

* * *

_**Chapter 33: Human Nature Part 3**_

Making her way out of the library, Rose was in the mood for some more fresh air. Being cooped up in a stuffy library can start to get on someone's nerves, and as she's been doing it for two months it's a necessity to breathe in more refreshing air instead of mustiness. Once she entered the halls, she ran into Headmaster Rocastle.

"Good day, sir," she greeted.

Rocastle nodded once. "And to you, Miss Tyler. Headed somewhere?"

"Oh, I was just hoping to get some fresh air for a little bit, 's all."

"Quite. As it turns out, I was planning the same thing," he answered. "One of the classes are performing their drills, and I was going to observe them. Care to join me?"

Rose shrugged. "Sure."

As they made their way outside, she was curious to know exactly what type of drills they were partaking in. Being in the library day in and day out meant she was somewhat unaware of the curriculum and activities the boys followed. But once they stepped off of the patio at the back of the schools, she winced at the sound of gunfire.

Across the wide range of grassy fields was the group of boys wielding various weapons - more specifically guns as they were shooting at prepared targets. The closer they got to the class, she inwardly cringed when she noticed that it was John's class.

_Definitely not the Doctor_, she continuously thought. If it were him, he wouldn't even stand within a millimeter of the weaponry, as he opposed such vial things. John was encouraging the boys when he turned and noticed them approaching.

"Cease fire!" Rocastle commanded. "We have a lady present." The boys immediately obeyed and lowered their guns.

John's face seemed to light up a little once he saw Rose. "Good day to you, Headmaster, Miss Tyler," he greeted.

Rose smiled at him, still feeling uncomfortable about this lesson. These were boys, and they were holding rifles. It was wrong.

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mr. Smith," Rocastle commented.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," one of the boys—Hutchinson— cut in. "We could do a lot better. Latimer is being deliberately shoddy."

"I'm trying my best," Tim defended.

"You need to be better than the _best_," Rocastle told. "Those are tribesmen from the dark continent."

"That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears."

"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realize how wrong we all are," Rocastle said with a sigh. "I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."

Oh, that was just so rude. No, not even that—it was immoral to wish that upon an innocent _child_. Wincing at the rapid firing, Rose noticed Tim appearing to be distracted. His face turned a paler shade as if he was haunted by something. Earlier when she saw him the poor boy looked to be feeling unwell. No doubt this 'training' was making him even more uncomfortable. It was like he was staring into space.

The firing abruptly ended after a moment. "There's a stoppage, immediate action," Hutchinson said, turning to the headmaster. "Didn't I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless! Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir?"

Rocastle turned to John. "It's your class, Mr. Smith."

_Oh, he couldn't possibly allow__—_

"Permission granted," John said half-heartedly.

What!?

Acting out of impulse, Rose stepped forward angrily just as Hutchinson grabbed Tim by the collar.

"Don't you lay a finger on him," she ordered at Hutchinson, seeing him flinch before releasing the boy. She turned to John. "You can't allow that, he's just a boy! This entire drill is horrid!" She went up to the headmaster. "Wishing war on innocent young men and then saying such punishment is allowed? How can you say that like it's _nothing_? Do you even understand what kind of trauma and pain one can get from the effects of war? I _do_, and it still hurts me every once in a while. How do you think these boys would feel?" She turned back to John. "There are other means of discipline, but to give a boy a gun to prepare for war is just wrong. If one is trying as best as they could, you encourage them. But the lesson here isn't one worth learning."

John stared at her stunned by her rant, his lips quivering as he tried to speak. "Permission denied," he said with a hard voice.

"But sir—" Hutchinson began to protest.

"Timothy, you will work to improve your concentration so that if a day should come and a war will commence—" he looked over at Rocastle. "—and _not_ be wished upon due to misdirection, you will be prepared."

The headmaster raised his brows. "Mr. Smith, if one—"

"No," Rose cut in, stepping over to Tim and grabbing his arm gently. "There are better methods of punishment, one's that don't involve bullying. Come on, Tim, you can help me in the library." Just as she made a move to leave, she turned and saw Baines staring at her with a strange expression on his face and sniffing. "Problem?"

"I…no, ma'am, nothing at all," he answered, walking away.

Odd. Giving John a pointed look, she trudged back to the school with Tim. "Thank you, Miss Tyler," the boy said gratefully.

"It's no trouble, Tim," she said. "I understand your discomfort. Feeling better?"

"At the moment," he said with a small chuckle.

Rose smiled at the boy, ignoring the slight twitch she felt inside.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Once Miss Tyler left with Timothy, John couldn't help but respect the woman even more. He himself despised teaching young boys to ready themselves for war, it was a vial tactic. Problem was that it was supposed to happen, but there were other means of discipline. He never expected such an outburst from her, although he should have known better since the subject was infuriating and horrid. What he granted was basically another student to bully and abuse another. It was wrong.

Rocastle had a cross expression. "Mr. Smith, you _do_ have that cane for a reason," he said.

"And a horrid one it is, sir," John said, evenly. "These boys don't need to be beaten for manners and discipline. Hard work, yes. A firm talking to, yes. But violence will only result in _violence_. We are training these boys to be respectable adults. We do not beat adults, therefore we should not beat children."

The headmaster studied him in thought. "I do not entirely agree, but I see merit in your opinion, Mr. Smith."

John nodded, thankful that his reasoning was acceptable. "Thank you, sir."

As the headmaster left, he couldn't stop but think about Rose's reaction to the situation. She probably resented him because he was a part of these teachings, but it wasn't by his doing. He was assigned to this job and had to do it, as much as he disliked these tactics.

The sound of someone sniffing beside him prompted him to turn to its source, finding Jeremy Baines looking at him oddly. "Anything the matter, Baines?"

"I thought…" the boy said, trailing off before adding. "No, sir, nothing, sir." Without another word, he walked back over to the class.

Apparently these boys were under too much pressure.

Ending his class immediately, he went back inside of the school in hopes that Rose would forgive him for granting such a strict punishment. Making his way to the library he found her directing Timothy to place books in their labeled sections. Doing as told, the boy arranged them in the right spots. John stood by the main desk awaiting her return. When she turned around and noticed his presence, she turned back and began to walk to the other side of the room. Sighing, he went over to her as she arranged some of her own.

"Rose, about what happened back there—"

"You gave a boy permission to beat another all because he was uncomfortable about wielding a gun," she said, her focus on her activity.

"Yes, but I really didn't want to. It was wrong of me," he told her. "I was unaware of his discomfort—"

She whipped around to face him. "How can that escape your attention? You think all of those boys _enjoy_ being trained like soldiers?"

He shook his head. "Not in the least, as I'm am as much uncomfortable about the teachings as well."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, you _really_ showed that when you answered right away and almost left that poor boy to be scarred both emotionally and physically." She turned and resumed her work.

"They _do_ need discipline on occasion, but I admit that it was wrong. Such a thing should not be permissible. I myself have a distaste for weaponry. Those boys are under so much pressure from the other strict teachers in this school that I just…" he trailed off. "Schoolboys shouldn't be beaten for not following directions, especially when it comes to militant forces. Discipline comes in many forms, and physical abuse should not be one of them."

Stopping what she was doing, Rose turned back to him with an arched eyebrow. "You're really trying to redeem yourself," she commented.

John nodded. "I stand by it. It was an act of impotence, and it was the wrong way to handle it. And I am really very sorry about that…and your losses."

"I suppose I could forgive you…" she said, placing a finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression. "Fine then. You're forgiven."

"I'm glad," he replied with a soft smile. "Um…would you care to accompany me to a walk? That is…if you're not—"

"Sure," Rose responded.

He nodded. "Brilliant."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Having known each other for two months, John had been meaning to spend some more alone time with Rose and get to know her a little better. After encountering every day, some friendly conversing with each other would be nice. Changing out of his professor uniform, he threw on his coat and hat as he led Rose through the village for a calm stroll.

"How could the school allow such discipline on boys?" she asked, closing her coat more as a chilling breeze blew past them.

"It's mandatory," John answered glumly. "The staff believe in being the absolute best when it comes to military procedures and extensive knowledge. I can't help but feel guilty for following such rules that allow classmates to assault others when struggling."

Rose patted his arm. "You're a good man, John. I'm sure you're not the only one that feels that way."

"Of course I'm not, there's you," he pointed out. "And might I add that the headmaster was more than disgruntled when we deceived him."

"Oh, well…" she said with a smile, causing him to form one of his own. "I haven't disgraced you, have I?"

"Not likely. _Humiliated_ maybe for a moment as you defied the authority in front of the boys and the headmaster…" he arched an eyebrow at her. "But you had every right to be upset."

"Not just for all of them, but Tim has been going through some troubles with some of the other boys," she told him. "He comes in the library a lot and tells me what they do to him sometimes."

John studied her. She was more than just a librarian, she cared about these boys. Her compassion for others was a strong quality of hers. "I had no idea," he admitted. "He's a sharp, young man, and one of the best in his class. Others may see that as a weakness. I sensed something was bothering him, but I wish he had told me."

"He barely wanted to talk to _me_ at first," Rose said. "But I eventually got him to spill it out. Now he feels more confident."

He smiled proudly at her. "Rose Tyler, a woman of great empathy."

Rose laughed again and it was the most beautiful sound and sight he had ever heard and seen. He couldn't wrap his head around why he felt so…comfortable with her, almost like he could tell her just about anything and everything.

"I forgot to mention that I had a chance to look through your journal," Rose said as they continued walking.

"Have you?"

She nodded. "Your sketches are beautiful and creative, much like your stories. You've got a magnificent imagination!" she said genuinely.

John couldn't stop the wide smile spreading on his face. "I'm glad you enjoyed them." He wanted to mention that he tore out a couple of pages as he was somewhat bashful to show them to her, but held it back.

He noticed she reached in her coat and pulled out his journal, handing it over to him. "Would you want it back now?"

"Oh, no, no, you don't have to," he said, placing a hand between them and pushing his journal back. "I wouldn't mind if you held onto it for a little longer."

"What if inspiration strikes and you don't have your book?"

He hummed. "Good point. But really, you can keep it for now."

Rose nodded and put it back in her pocket. "Still though, the pushing of war tactics seems a bit much. They're _boys_. When they go to war, they're gonna be so afraid. No one can really prepare themselves for that."

"Well…Great Britain's at peace," John said with a small smile. "Long may it reign."

"In your journal—in one of your stories, you wrote about the year 1914."

He shook his head and smiled softly. "That was just a dream."

_If only you knew how real it was,_ Rose thought to herself. "But all those images of mud and wire," she said. "You said something about a shadow—a shadow falling across the entire world."

"Well, then we can be thankful it's not true," he told her, the smile still on his face. "And I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself. Everyday life can provide honor and valor and…let's hope that from now on this-this country can…" Rose looked at him and frowned as he drew his words out slowly. "Can find its heroes in smaller places…in the most…ordinary…"

Something was distracting him. Following his gaze, she noticed what he was staring at—a group of men struggling to lift a piano on a rope that was beginning to fray with a woman pushing a baby carriage and getting dangerously close to it. Rose's breath hitched.

"…of deeds!" John finished before instinctively seeking to save the woman.

He snatched a cricket ball from a young boy nearby and tossed it. With impossible accuracy, it connected with a bundle of poles underneath a scaffold, causing them to fall. They landed on a plank of wood, making it become a catapult as a brick on the end flew in the air and hit a milk churn. It rolled in the path of the woman, causing her to shout, and stopped at the carriage's wheels…just as the piano crashed onto the ground in the spot where they would have been. The baby started to cry, but thankfully no one sustained an injury.

Rose gaped at the chain of events that just happened in what was probably no more than eight seconds. That was just…incredible. Turning to John, she noted now equally stunned he was by his actions.

"Lucky…" he breathed out, still taking in the scene.

"_Luck_?" Rose scoffed with a smile. "That was no luck, that was…_brilliance_!"_ That was her Doctor,_ she thought to herself.

His heart was racing as the adrenaline was still pumping through him. Blinking out of his trance, John turned to her and asked in a rush, "Rose Tyler, would you like to attend the village dance this evening with me?"

A warm smile spread on her face as she looped her arm in his. "I'd love to."

They began to make their way back to the school, crossing over the empty fields talking and laughing away. "You can draw fantastic creatures, create amazing stories, and apparently very skilled with a cricket ball," Rose commented.

John laughed. "Well, I _was_ fond of the sport when I was younger. Guess I still have it in me."

"A man of many talents, eh?"

"That I am," he said warmly. "Never knew."

It astounded Rose how much of the Doctor's traits John had inherited. At times it seemed as if he was back to being himself, and it felt…natural.

"That scarecrow's all skewed," he said, bringing her attention. He released her arm as he crossed over to a lone scarecrow in the middle of the area with its arms down. He brought them up and began tying them back on the frame.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Rose spoke as she watched him work. "Where did you learn to draw?"

"Gallifrey," he answered.

_Uh, oh. He's leaking through._ Swallowing hard, she warily asked, "Is that in…Ireland?"

Stopping his work, he looked up with an uncertain look. "Yes, it must be, yes…"

"You're Irish?"

"Not at all, no," he clarified. "My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was a school teacher."

"Interesting."

"How about you, Rose?" he asked, still tying the scarecrow.

Licking her lips, she tried to think of a response. "Well I'm not Irish either," she started, earning a chuckle from him. "I've been…moving around. I lost my father when I was young, and just recently lost my mother after…the war," she said quietly.

He looked up, his face full of sympathy. "I'm so sorry." Rose nodded before he stepped back from the scarecrow to study his work. "Well, my work is done," he turned to her. "What do you think?"

"Masterpiece," she replied with a smile, but feeling a slight twitchy feeling as she eyed it.

John laughed lightly as he made his way back over to her. "All sorts of skills today!"

"You're just full of surprises," Rose commented.

"Would you mind stopping by my study when we get back at the school?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered. "What for?"

He smiled warmly. "I believe inspiration has struck me."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Rose sat on the sofa in John's study, upright and still as John sat on the other side of his room by his table with his journal in hand as he sketched. When they first arrived, he pulled out a few stray papers from his shelves and handed them to her, causing her to inwardly gasp and warm her heart. They were sketches of her. He had drawn portraits of her; one with her smiling widely, one with her standing in front of what seemed to be a glow behind her, one with her dressed in the gown he adored when they met Dickens, and so many others—all just from memory.

Sheepishly as he was, he admitted that he tore them out of his journal saying he thought they weren't good enough for her to see, and that he was hoping she would let him create one on the spot. Hiding the blush that threatened to show, she allowed him to do just that. Now, she remained in her upright position and watched him using his artistic skills. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he moved his pencil in quick and slow stokes followed by blending in the lights and darks with his fingers. Occasionally he glanced up at her as he drew, his gaze causing her to heat up. Surely he noticed the pink shade creeping on her cheeks, and she could see a faint smirk appear on his face as he continued his work.

Even as a human, he was cheeky.

After a few more moments, John blended in the shading one last time before stopping completely, his eyes flitting between the sketch and herself.

"Can I see?" Rose asked with a smile.

Lowering the book, he stood from his seat to sit beside her on the sofa, holding it out for her to see. The portrait was…beautiful, like it was crafted by a professional. She was seated in her stance wearing her blouse with her hair up in the bun, some of her strands hanging loose from it and falling down the sides of her face. A glimmer of light was twinkling in her eyes and her smile was small and sweet.

"Oh, my God," she breathed out.

"You like it?" John asked

She flipped to the next pages and laughed when she saw the sketch of the Slitheen. "You sure that's not me?" she said jokingly with a chuckle, pointing at it.

Glancing over at him, she didn't see him laugh. Instead, he smiled softly at her with his equally soft eyes. Leaning his arm on the back of the sofa, he brought his other hand over and flipped the pages back to the sketch of herself.

"Most definitely this page."

"You've made me too beautiful."

"Well, that's how I see you," he told her sincerely.

Though she wasn't looking directly at him, she felt his eyes boreing onto the side of her face, causing her breath to hitch. Strange as she felt, she's been on the receiving end of his admiring gazes, but that was when he was the Doctor. This wasn't the Doctor, this was _John Smith._

"You don't believe me," John said.

Blinking she shook her head and turned to him, becoming aware of their close proximity. "No, I mean…is this how you really see me?"

She melted inside when his smile softened even more. "Well, mostly." He looked back down at his sketch, and she followed suit. "But no matter how many times I try, I don't think I'll ever do justice to its actual beauty."

Rose's stomach was battleground and she held her breath once he reached up and intimately brushed one of her stray locks behind her ear then slowly trailed the backs of two fingers down her cheek as he lowered his hand. This was wrong. He wasn't the Doctor. Well, he _was_, but…he wasn't _himself_. This was a whole other person that just had the same infatuation. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't calm her nerves.

Hesitantly, he angled his head down until he was a breath away from her face. Before she knew it, he closed what little space was left and pressed his warm lips softly to hers. Her mind was screaming at her—one part telling her to recoil, and the other telling her to reciprocate. Not even having a chance to make up her mind, as soon as he initiated it, he pulled back only a fraction, his eyes still fixed on her lips. Visibly swallowing, he tried to form a response, but only came out with a quiet voice.

"I've never, um…" When he glanced up at her she saw some slight vulnerability.

She shouldn't be doing this. She _really_ shouldn't be doing this. Everything inside of her was conflicting with this whole situation. She was staring in the eyes of a stranger who was also the man she loves with all of her heart. But…they were the _same_.

He noticed her slight uneasiness and began to stammer, averting his gaze. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I-I…don't know what came over me, I just…um…"

As much as she was inwardly kicking herself, she found herself gravitating towards him like she usually would and silenced him with a kiss of her own. He seemed shocked for a moment until he responded willingly placing his hand delicately on her cheek, making this second kiss a slower and a more…loving one. For a moment she felt the Doctor leaking out at full force, felt like it was him and not John Smith, which still sounded completely barmy to her, but that's just what it was. She's lived through two months without him around as well as two weeks prior to hiding when they distanced themselves from each other. Wrong as this felt, she's longed to feel his lips back against hers, and that felt…right. Selfish as it was, it was a need at this point.

How ever long it lasted, it was interrupted shortly when the sound of approaching footsteps came to their attention. John dropped his hand from her face and broke away with an irritated noise.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" he snapped. Rose turned and saw Martha staring at them blankly before running out of the room. "I'm sorry about that," he said.

"You didn't have to snap at her like that," she told him firmly.

He shook his head. "Still…she knows better."

Clearing her throat she closed his journal. "I should…get ready for tonight."

"Oh…of course."

"Thank you for lending me your journal," Rose said.

John nodded. "It's no trouble."

Rose gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing up and heading out of his study. Once she made it to her own room, she sat on the bed with her face buried in her hands, fighting back on the tears burning in her eyes. Her stomach was spinning with confusion. She couldn't stop herself. She lowered one of her hands and placed two fingers over her lips, still feeling his own lingering upon hers.

Was she taking advantage of him since she hadn't been so close with him in so long? Well, not him…it's been so long since she and the Doctor had went back to their closeness. Right before he changed into a human, they both made physical contact with each other which sent shivers through them both. She hated this isolation, hiding away from home. All she wanted was the Doctor back, but what if he never forgave her for falling in love with his human form?

No. She loved the Doctor as he was. John Smith is fictional. He's not real. Okay, technically he _was_, but…

Her head began to hurt as she continued to wrap her head around all of this. For two months she's been struggling to understand everything. This last month had better fly by, but she had a feeling it was going to drag.


	34. Human Nature Part 4

**A/N: Okay, now this was all originally in the previous chapter, but I decided to split it in two. Truthfully, I cut it out cause I'm working on the Family of Blood chapters, and I'm slightly procrastinating. Yikes. ****Much love to all of the lovely viewers! **

* * *

_**Chapter 34: Human Nature Part 4**_

It was something expected and yet Martha was still a little shocked. She hadn't meant to barge into John's room, but she's been noticing some people acting strange in the halls lately and wanted to check in on him—and was relieved to find him perfectly fine as he was sitting on the sofa sharing a passionate snog with Rose.

While she couldn't help but feel a little happy albeit a little embarrassed to witness such a scene that hasn't happened in over two months, it mainly felt wrong. Surely Rose was the same way. Between the both of them, she had to be the one with the most differing feelings when encountering the Doctor—no, _John._

Though they fast forwarded through his instructional recording back on the TARDIS, she was certain that allowing his human self to fall in love was most likely _not_ on his list. But what if he _did_ know it would happen knowing Rose would be around him? It was only a matter of time until Rose gave in to old habits even though this really wasn't the man she loved and they still had some issues to settle in their actual relationship in their normal lives. Before any of this, Martha had a small—and all too short—private talk with the Doctor, and he had made slight implications that he wanted to bond with Rose, basically the Time Lord equivalent of _marriage._ How was any of that going to come to fruition at the end of this?

One more month. When this whole thing is done and over with, those two had better fix whatever's breaking them inside.

Martha passed by the library only to find that Rose was not there. No surprise. Knowing her, she must have realized how uncomfortable the scene was and left to her own study. Going down the halls, she made it to her room and sure enough, Rose was sitting on her bed and peering out of the window.

"You okay?" Martha asked, walking over to her.

"I…I shouldn't have done that," she said quietly, chewing on her thumbnail.

"Maybe not, but…Rose, you don't have to get upset about it."

"How can I not?" she retorted.

"I understand how you're feeling," Martha said calmly. "You miss him so much that you wanna spend as much time with him as possible. But…you can't get too attached to him."

Rose turned to face her. "I'm trying not to, but it's hard. It's still him deep down, I saw it—I _felt_ it. 'S just…" She trailed off with a shake of her head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling. I just want him back. I miss _him_…I _need_ him."

Coming to sit beside her, Martha placed an arm around her friend's shoulders comfortingly. "I know," she said softly. "Pretty soon this'll all be over, and then you two can work things out."

Rose let out a sigh before nodding. "I have to get ready for tonight. He's asked me to the dance—_properly_ asked me."

Martha smiled. "Okay. Have a great time," she gave her a hug. "And keep a close eye on him."

"I know."

Once Martha left the room to return to her duties, she heard Rose let out another sigh from behind. She really felt sympathy for both of them right now just as much as she always has back on the TARDIS. If Rose was getting too close to John, the time when he would have to change back to the Doctor would be challenging for them—especially John. Still, she had faith that everything would be fine. Just one month left.

A short while later, Rose finished getting ready for the dance. Instead of going through the trouble of figuring out what to wear, once again the TARDIS was a step ahead and prepared her with a dress neatly folded at the bottom of her bag.

It was a loose high-waisted and short-sleeved cut dress in the shade of, not surprisingly, TARDIS blue that ended at her ankles decorated with beads, embroidery, and other basic embellishments. Completing the look, she was prepared with a white wrap. She left her skirt on underneath the dress so she could have easy access to retrieving the watch if necessary.

Hopefully John won't gape at her like the Doctor would, but of course she had a feeling that it was pointless to even doubt that.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Standing in front of the small mirror hanging on the wall, John fixed up his bow tie as he readied himself to take Rose to the dance. Formal events like these weren't really his cup of tea, but he supposed he could make an exception for tonight—or any other night for that matter if it meant he would accompany one Miss Rose Tyler.

He could still feel his heart racing from the wondrous, loving moment they had shared earlier. Never did he think she'd respond the way she did, but once she did his stomach swooped. It was something he had never experienced or felt in his life, and it was right, he could tell. Undoubtedly it was better than any fantasy that would pop in his head or write down in his journal.

His giddiness was definitely visible, but at the moment he didn't care. He felt like singing. Strangely enough a tune came to his mind. "Robert De Niro's waiting, talking Italian, talking…Italian, Italian…" _Wait a minute, what?_ His brows furrowed. "Robert De who?" Must've been something he came across in one of his dreams. He brought his hand up and made sure his hair was in place, his conscious singing continuing. "Gimme, gimme a Madame…" Huh? That was…different as well. "Yeah, maybe not."

Off to the side of his desk was one of the papers he took out of his journal—the one from Christmas Land. Taking it in hand, he smiled at the piece. His fingers traced over the sketch of Rose standing in front of the fireplace, a wide smile on her face that lit up the room far more than the fire light did. When he first had the dream he almost felt an overwhelming sense of care but at the same time doubt.

This character that was the Doctor was a lost man, one who was unsure about himself and how he could be with this wonderful woman. John never understood exactly why he was like that—probably because the Doctor was a broken man who hurt a lot of people around him, and he was shamefully doing it to her.

Luckily those were only dreams, and he wasn't the Doctor. He wouldn't hurt Rose. Never. This was no ordinary schoolboy crush anymore—it was love. _True_ love. And he would be delighted to spend the rest of his life with her. Who would have imagined that this woman, with whom he only knew for only two _months,_ would become the love of his life. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the sudden revelation, but there was no denying her eloquence of body language.

The sound of approaching footsteps entering his room brought him out of his daze. Quickly stuffing the sketch in his jacket pocket, he turned around and froze in his spot when he caught a glimpse of Rose. The dress she wore was a elegant choice that he couldn't help but stare at her. It had to be impossible to contain such beauty.

Rose couldn't help but inwardly blush at the way he was looking at her. It was the exact same look the Doctor would give her that made her feel appreciated.

"Is this…okay?" she asked.

"You look wonderful," he breathed out.

She smiled shyly. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

John ducked his head with a small smile. _H__e probably couldn't wait to get on the dance floor,_ Rose thought to herself. _Wait a minute…_

"Uh, can you actually dance, John?" she asked. If he inherited some of the Doctor's traits, hopefully his ability to keep rhythm to music was still intact. She really didn't fancy being dropped on the floor if he moved with two left feet.

He put on a thoughtful expression. "Um…I'm not certain…" he answered.

If only he knew how skilled he was. "Is there anything you are certain about?" she said with a laugh.

A small smile spread on his face. He walked over to her with softened eyes and she felt her insides warm up. Human or not, only the Doctor could create such a reaction. "Yes," he said with confidence. "Yes, there is."

Without another word he raised a hand to cup her jaw and dipped his head down to kiss her softly. Once again, Rose couldn't resist as she returned the gesture and reflexively placed her hands on his hips, leaning into his touch. He was only making everything more difficult for her when he gently caressed her upper lip with his tongue and deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him with an arm around her back. Unable to suppress the soft moan that built up inside of her, one of her arms found their way around his neck and the other around his waist.

She had no idea how she was going to make it through this last month. It was so familiar the way he was right now, but she felt a tad bit of pain knowing that this wasn't the Doctor. Her mind was buzzing mad but by the way he was kissing her, it stopped. If he was going this far, how much further would he go? And that's when she felt the hand he placed on her back slowly move on its own account to her hip then proceeding to slide further down her thigh, making her breath hitch and bringing her back.

Breaking the kiss after a hum of protest, she caught her breath. "Doc—" Oops. Simple mistake. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "John, we've got somewhere to be."

Blinking rapidly he pulled himself away, his ears turning a shade of pink. "Right. Of course." Reaching over behind him he grabbed his coat off the rack and shrugged it on before helping her with her wrap. Handing over her purse, he offered his arm. "Off we go."

She chuckled and looped her arm through his as they made their way out. As it turns out, the Doctor was leaking out more and more. How is she going to handle one more month of…this?

The air outside was still chilly, but bearable as Rose's dress had sleeves and a wrap around her frame. She inwardly thanked the TARDIS for her continuous help. The walk was short as they arrived at the village hall, already hearing the chattering of guests. A man at the door held out a box for donations, and John was more than happy to give a coin.

Stepping inside they were greeted with warmth and bright lights. The hall wasn't large, but there was a fair amount of room to dance on the dance floor. People were standing around at the bar, talking away with drinks in their hands while others were seated at small round tables or already dancing. Taking a table John removed his coat and hung it on one of the chairs before holding out one for Rose.

Not long after a male announcer went up on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen! Please take your partners for a waltz!"

Exchanging a glance, they smiled at each other as John held out a hand for Rose. Slipping hers in his, he led them onto the dance floor and took their postures. Slow music began to play and they both began to move to its rhythm with such ease. Rose was amazed to see that the Doctor's skills indeed have been inherited in John.

"So you do have the moves, then," she said with a laugh.

He grinned when he spun her around. "Never knew I _did._ I'm quite surprised myself."

It was then he turned them together and accidentally bumped into a nearby couple. He quickly apologized and Rose couldn't help but giggle when a hint of blush tinted his ears.

Another song began to play and it was an even slower tune. Much as she was still conflicted inside she found herself leaning into his embrace, her arms going around his neck and her head resting over his singular heart. She missed that unusual yet wonderful double rhythm of both of them, but before she'd know it she'll be able to hear it once again. When this was over, she was going to seek out the Doctor and talk out their problems. She hated the distance.

The feel of a light kiss to her hair brought her out of her trance. This felt so natural it literally ached. John was very similar to the Doctor while at the same time very different. It's been a while since she's felt this content, but she would just enjoy it for the time being because pretty soon they'll be back to their old lives, and hopefully patch things up.

John glanced down and felt his insides warm up at the sight of a soft smile on Rose's face. Never had he known such a possible situation would happen to him. Mad as it seemed, he could remain in this moment for a very long time. Not just him, but they both can spend it _together._

In the beginning he had thought that it was all just a crush, but it bloomed into something more. He would be glad to call this woman the love of his life until in death did they part.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha waited in one of the rooms for Jenny to meet her, setting up cups of tea. While nearly every other colleague in the school was going to the village hall, her along with some of the other maids and cooks were left alone. She just hoped Rose was enjoying herself even if she was conflicted inside.

One more month, she kept reminding herself.

She heard footsteps and turned to find Jenny had arrived. "There you are! Come and look what I've got," she moved to sit at the table and set down the tray. "Mr. Poole didn't want his afternoon tea, so Cooke said I could have it. And there's enough for two." Looking over, she noticed Jenny was still standing in the doorway with her coat on, unmoving. "What are you standing there for?"

Not responding, Jenny just sniffed loudly. Martha eyed her, concerned. "Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"I must have a cold coming on," Jenny responded, sitting at the table. "What wrong with you?"

Still studying her warily, she sighed. "Where to start. Problem is I keep thinking about him, but I don't know what to do."

"Thinking about who?"

"Mr. Smith," Martha said. "He's fallen in love with Rose, apparently, and…it'll be difficult to deal with when we leave in a month."

"Why are you leaving? Leave for where?" Jenny asked curiously.

"All sorts of places," she answered, thinking about all of the impossible adventures they've been on, and wondering about what others await. "I wish I could tell you Jenny, but it's complicated."

"In what way?"

Martha shook her head. "I just can't."

"It sounds so interesting, tell me," the other maid urged with an unusual smile plastered on her face. "Tell me now."

Sensing a shift in her tone, Martha could easily tell something was wrong with Jenny, and it sure as hell wasn't any cold. "Would you like some tea?" she asked slowly yet calmly, contrasting with the shaking in her stomach.

"Yes, thanks," Jenny said quickly.

This wasn't good. "I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot, and some mutton," she suggested. "Or sardines and jam, how about that?"

"I like the sound of that."

"Right. Hold on a tick."

Standing up from her seat, she walked out of the room and into the corridor…then picked up the pace into a fast sprint when she was a safe distance away from Jenny to be alerted—or whatever was possessing Jenny rather. She knew something was up with her. Making it down the stairs she noticed that familiar green laser shot was fired from a window. One month couldn't wait. It was time to open the watch.

Racing through the school, she turned a corner and bumped into Timothy Latimer. "Oh, sorry!" she apologized.

"Martha?"

"Not now, Tim. Busy!" She called out as she kept running. Wait…if the watch was about to be opened, she needed to retrieve something of the Doctor's first.

The hut wasn't too far from the village hall, so she needed to make a quick stop. Hurtling inside the TARDIS she ran right over to the coral strut where the Doctor's coat was still draped. Reaching into his impossibly large pockets, she muttered in impatience before cheering once she found what she was looking for—the sonic screwdriver. Dashing back out, she made her way towards the village hall, completely barging past the doorman. Scanning the crowd of people she found Rose seated by herself at a table.

"Rose!" Martha cried as she ran over to her.

"What's wrong?"

"They found us! I've seen them, they look like people—like us, like normal. They've done something to Jenny."

"Oh, God," Rose breathed out.

"It's time," Martha told her. "We have to open the watch."

Nodding, Rose immediately went in her pocket to retrieve the watch…and her eyes widened. "No, no, no!" She searched through her other one, muttering in disbelief.

"Rose, _please_ tell me you still have it," Martha said desperately.

"Where is it!?" She shouted. "It's gone!"

"_What_!?" Martha snapped. This couldn't be happening. "How could you lose it!?"

"I dunno!" Rose snapped back. "I always carry it with me." Her mind was racing. So, the Family have found them, and the only hope they had at the moment was the watch —which was somehow lost. Fan-bloody-tastic.

Martha pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, God. Rose, how can you let the most important piece of this entire puzzle slip away?"

"D'you think I _want_ this?" Rose snapped. "You think I _intended_ for this to happen? 'Cause I didn't!"

"What do we do now? The one thing that can save us is gone all because you've got your head wrapped around him."

"That's not it! I must've dropped it somewhere—"

"Martha," John said surprised with a slight edge of irritation as he came back to the table. "I've warned you…" His eyes flitted between them. "Is everything alright?"

Rose felt her insides shake. How could they explain that his dreams were true, that the brilliant mad man was actually him? "Well, actually…" she began, not able to tell him.

"Actually, no," Martha cut in. "Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny. They've possessed her or…copied her or something, and we can't find the watch!"

He raised his brows. "Oh, I see." He turned to Rose and murmured, "Cultural differences," he turned back to Martha. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."

"Oh, you complete…" she muttered before gesturing her fingers at his appearance. "_This_ is not you. This is _1913_."

"Good," he said slowly in a patronizing tone, looking at her like she was mad. "This _is_ 1913."

Rose rolled her eyes. Even as a human, he could still be rude. "Just…listen to her," she urged.

John turned to her with an arched eyebrow. "Come now, Rose. You can't really _believe_ her."

Martha sighed in frustration. "Oh, my God." She glanced at Rose and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I've got to snap him out of this."

With that, she slapped him hard across the face, causing him to cry out in shock and Rose to wince at the sound.

"Wake up!" Martha yelled. "We need to get you back to the TARDIS."

John stared wide eyed at her, a hand pressed against his cheek. "How dare…" he stammered before angrily regaining his senses. "How _dare _you! I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant! Martha, you are dismissed from your duties at the school. You will leave these premises immediately." He pointed to the exit. "Now get out!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to…" she reached in her pocket and pulled out the sonic, holding it up to him. "Do you know what this is? Name it. Go on, name it," she urged.

His face was a mix of confusion and shock. Rose had noticed various sketches of the handy device in his journal, and he stared at it with disbelief, completely silent. "You're not John Smith," she told him softly. "You're called the Doctor. That man you dream of every night? He's real…and he's _you_."

He turned to her with an expression that made almost made her want to cry. He looked…lost and hurt and betrayed for a moment. "They're just stories," he told them. "Just dreams."

Before Rose could respond, a chill ran down her spine just as the sound of a coat rack falling to the ground got people's attention and a man began to shout. "There will be silence! All of you!" The crowd began to murmur, only causing the man to repeat, "I said _silence_!"

"Mr. Clarke, what's going on?" a man asked, only to be vaporized with a gun, causing everyone to scream in fear.

Martha went over to John, warning him over the madness. "Mr. Smith? Everything we told you, just forget it! Don't say _anything_!"

"We asked for silence!" Baines ordered. "Now then, we have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

A little girl holding a red balloon came forward. "No, better than that. The teacher—he's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines said with a sneer.

John furrowed his brows in confusion. "Of course I'm human, I was _born _human!" He nodded at the group of people. "As were you, Baines, and Jenny, and you, Mr. Clarke. What's going on? This is madness!"

"Ooh, and a human brain, too," Baines mocked. "Simple, thick, and dull."

"But he's no good like this," Jenny remarked.

"We need a _Time Lord_," Mr. Clarke agreed.

Baines nodded. "Easily done." He stepped forward with a gun in his hand, raising it to point at John. "Change back," he ordered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," John said honestly, hold his arms up in peace.

"Change back!" Baines repeated.

"I literally do not know-"

He was cut off when Martha screamed. Rose turned to find Jenny grabbing her from behind and holding a gun to her. "Get off me!" Martha told her.

"Let her go!" Rose yelled, trying to make a move to help her but felt John place a gentle hand on her waist to pull her back.

Jenny tightened her grip around Martha, taunting John. "She's your friend, isn't she? Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" John cried out.

"Mother of Mine," Baines addressed. "Might I make a suggestion? The maid is not a strong enough tool." He turned to Rose with the creepiest smile and sniffed loudly. "But I am not mistaken when I say that I have caught a faint scent of…a _wolf_."

Rose felt her stomach drop at his words, as well as the color of her face drain. The bracelet that was meant to keep her hidden proved to be ineffective. They can smell her, too. Oh, bloody hell.

Jenny sniffed before grinning like a psychopath. "Not just any wolf—the _Bad_ Wolf. Oh, wonderful discovery, Son of Mine. She is more…worthy, wouldn't you say, Husband of Mine?"

"Indeed," Mr. Clarke responded. "Let's have you!" In a flash, he reached out and grabbed Rose by the arm, causing her to yelp.

"Back off!" she yelled, but was no use for the man's grip as he raised his own gun to her head. Looking up she was met with a horrified expression on John's face.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being _human_?" Baines taunted. "Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better? Richer? Wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or librarian? Your friend or your lover? Your choice."

* * *

**Oh, snap.**


	35. Family of Blood Part 1

**A/N: At the time that I typed this I had a continuous headache that just wouldn't go away. The next chapter will be posted on Monday. ****Much love to all of the lovely viewers! **

**Also, on an unrelated and sad note: R.I.P Leonard Nimoy. Just like McCoy said: "_'He's not really dead…as long as we remember him_.'" ****We'll always remember you and the legacy you've made. Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock.**

* * *

_**Chapter 35: Family of Blood Part 1**_

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," Jenny taunted, pressing her gun closer to Martha while at the same time Mr. Clarke pressed his own against Rose.

He couldn't move, could barely catch his breath, or calm his pounding heart. All John could do was watch helplessly as these insane people—at least, they _seemed_ to be people, but…he wasn't sure—holding Martha and Rose captive.

What was he to do? How could he make a choice? Without a doubt, he would choose Rose, as she was the love of his life, and he would do anything to keep her safe. But he couldn't just let them kill Martha, his faithful friend. His mind was racing as his eyes flitted desperately between both women. Now he understood exactly how the Doctor had felt in his stories, always worried about endangering those close to him—especially his precious Rose. This couldn't be happening. Was this just another one of his ludicrous fantasies that seemed all too real? He was at a loss.

Feeling a sense of being protective, he somehow found his voice. "Let them go," he told them.

"Oh, he's got a spine after all," Mr. Clarke mocked.

"Mother of Mine, might I interject for a moment?" Baines spoke up. "We have the Bad Wolf in our possession, the one thing that could weaken the Time Lord. It would be a pleasure to use her for our own need as we await for his change."

"Like hell you will!" Rose yelled, trying to break free from Mr. Clarke's grasp but to no avail.

"A wonderful idea, Son of Mine," Jenny said proudly.

"Her energy is just as vital as his," Mr. Clarke remarked, ducking his head down into the crook of Rose's neck, inhaling deeply. "And she smells _so_good." Rose managed to elbow him in the gut, but couldn't escape. "A _feisty_ one, you are. I can see why he has desire for you."

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines said. "But if not, then we shall use the Wolf."

Mr. Clarke pressed the gun up to Rose's head, and John suddenly felt a surge of seething anger boiling inside of him. Rose held her breath and awaited for some kind of miracle, some kind of diversion—

_"Time Lord."_

It was a whisper from the watch, and her stomach swooped in relief when she heard it. It had to be close by.

The Family jerked their heads up and sniffed. "It's him!" Baines cried.

Glancing over at Martha, she understood what they had to do and took the opportunity. In a swift motion they shifted in their captor's hold, squirming free. They grabbed the guns from their hands and held them up against both Jenny and Mr. Clarke.

"All right!" Martha shouted. "One more move and we shoot!"

Baines looked impressed. "Oh, the maid is full of fire!"

"And you can shut the hell up!" Rose shouted, shooting her gun at the ceiling, causing everyone in the room to jump, including herself. Never did she ever want to hold one, but as she was feeling more than frantic at the moment, she didn't care.

"The Wolf _is_ feisty," Baines drawled out slowly, making her skin crawl.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clarke warned. "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

Baines along with the little girl raised their own guns at both Rose and Martha. "You do realize that we can easily shoot you both down right now?" he taunted.

"Go 'head, try it," Rose challenged with a smirk. She could easily feel John's gaze burning in the back of her head. If it was the Doctor, he'd be even worse.

"We'll die together," Martha spoke up.

Baines studied both of them. "We wouldn't shoot the Wolf, not while we can drain her later. But would either of you _really_ pull the trigger? Looks too scared."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "That may be true, but if you've heard of me, then you should know what I could be capable of. I'm the Destroyer of the Daleks; the killer of their emperor. Turned them into dust. I may be scared, but I've dealt with _far_ worse than you."

Something shifted in the Family, as if they finally realized exactly who they were dealing with.

"I'm with her," Martha piped in. "I may not be capable of such things, but we're in this together. Scared and holding a gun—it's a good combination. You wanna risk it? Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!"

Rose glanced at John, who was simply standing with a confused expression still on his face. "Do it, John. She means you! Get everyone out of here!"

Bringing him back, he finally took direction as he ushered the guests out. She also noticed Nurse Redfern along with Mr. Stewart helping. The woman may have been a little annoying, but Rose was grateful for her participation. She couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at how it appeared that she found a date after all. Good for her.

"Thanks, Joan. You too, Mr. Stewart," she called out.

As the guests piled out, she felt a twitchy feeling inside. In the corner of her eye she saw a crouching figure. Turning her head she identified the shape as Timothy watching from the corner behind a coat rack. "Tim, get out of here!" At her words, the boy ran away to safety. "Joan, Alton, you leave too!"

"And you, John," Martha spoke up. "Shift!"

"What about you two? I couldn't _possibly_ leave you here!" he retorted.

Rose looked at straight at him. "We'll be fine. Just go."

"No! I'm not-"

"John, go!" she shouted. Now she understood how the Doctor must feel when she always protests to stay.

Weighing his options, he most certainly wanted to protest even more. But reluctantly, John nodded and ran outside. Lost and completely frantic weren't even justifiable descriptions of how he was feeling right now. Some kind of disease or something has poisoned the minds of innocent colleagues and a student making them appear to be aliens, he's been told that he is in fact the brilliant mad man that's been appearing in his dreams, and the woman that he loved had something to do with a wolf.

What a story this would be if it were one of his dream…which he still hoped it was, but seeing as there was no way to wake up from the madness, his confusion only increased seeing as it was real.

Joining the group of guests, he caught sight of one of the other teachers and strode over to him. "Mr. Hicks, warn the village. Get everyone out!" Turning around, he noticed Timothy Latimer walking around. This was no place for a student to be. "Latimer, you shouldn't be here!" Running towards the boy, he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Get back to the school. Tell the headmaster—"

"Don't touch me!" Tim yelled, pushing him back and out of his reach. "You're as bad as them!"

Staring at the boy with shock and confusion at the his sudden outrage, John watched the young man turn and run away. Surely he couldn't believe that he was actually the Doctor, too. He's not real, he's fiction.

Joan came over to his side. "What's going on, John? Why are they after you and Miss Tyler?"

He shook his head. "I've no idea, but we have to get everyone away from all this madness."

"How could they know about the Doctor and the Bad Wolf?" Mr. Stewart asked. "They never put a hand on your journal."

John's brows creased. "How could _you_ know about that?" He hasn't told anyone else about his dreams, but apparently they were spreading throughout the school. Lovely.

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "Joan told me about it, and how much of an imagination you've got. Seems pretty interesting, I must say."

"Well…thank you. To answer your question—I'm unsure of how those…beings are familiar with the character of my dreams. But for right now, I want you to help Mr. Hicks get everyone out of here."

"What about you?" Joan asked. "You can't stay out here."

He looked back at the village hall. "I'm _not_ leaving without them," he told her firmly. He'd be damned if he left those two behind—especially Rose.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Once John finally snapped out of his stunned state and left, both Martha and Rose released their captives but kept their guns raised at them for safety. "Don't try anything," Martha said firmly, gesturing at Baines. "I'm warning you, or Sonny boy gets it."

That creepy smile plastered on Baines' face grew impossibly wider. "She's almost brave, this one," he taunted.

The Family began to slowly walk towards them, causing them to back up a few inches with their guards still up. "I should've taken _her_ form," Jenny said irritably. "Much more fun, so full of spirit!"

"You're trying to put yourselves in greater danger, aren't ya?" Rose challenged, keeping her own gun steady which contrasted with the nauseating feeling burning in the pit of her stomach. This must be exactly how the Doctor feels whenever he's around guns.

Jenny turned to her and grinned. _"Yours_ would be even better. All that precious, eternal life inside of you selfishly dancing around. Just the thought of you going out with dignity would be a pleasure."

"What happened to Jenny?" Martha asked. "Is she gone?"

"She is consumed. Her body's _mine."_

"In other words, you mean she's dead," Rose concluded bitterly.

Jenny smiled smugly. "Yes, and she went with precious little dignity." She raised her hands and shook them with mock fright. "All that, _'Ah!' _screaming!"

"Oh, it's all fun and games, killing innocent lives," Rose spat out. "What good is it gonna do for any of you? You're all standin' on your hind legs ready to fall and flop around on the ground any moment. You're not surviving this! Why don't you just give up?"

As the Family kept approaching them, she and Martha continued to slowly back away with their guns still raised. But they came to a stop and yelped when two possessed scarecrows came up to them from behind and grabbed them.

"Get the guns!" Baines commanded. Doing as told, the creatures released them and ripped the guns from their hands. _Well, that lasted._ "Good work, soldiers."

Taking their cue to escape, both women dashed out of the hall. When they came out they noticed the crowd had dispersed—all except John. Rose had a feeling he'd wait for her regardless of her orders, and couldn't help but inwardly smile at him, but this was dangerous. Without the watch, the Doctor couldn't be around right now. And John was to be protected.

"Don't just stand there, move!" Rose shouted.

"God, you're rubbish as a human," Martha told John.

Rose turned to her with annoyance. "Don't be too hard on him!"

"Sorry Rose, but right now we need to get both him and you away from here. Come on!"

Martha ran past them while John just stood with that uncertain expression on his face again. Stepping up to him, Rose grabbed his hand and whispered, "Run!"

What a turn of events.

Making it safely back to the school, John closed the large wooden door behind them and placed a thick plank through the holds as a lock. Off to the side was a warning bell, which he immediately grabbed and rang loudly.

"What are you doing?" Martha demanded.

He stopped ringing the bell for a moment. "Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together," he replied before continuing the warning and shouting. "Take arms! Take arms!"

Rose shook her head and shouted over the sound. "Stop it!" She stepped over to him in an attempt to take the bell away from him.

"You want me to fight, don't you?" John defended, holding the bell out of her reach before resuming. "Take arms! Take arms!"

"No, not _you!"_ The last thing she wanted was for him to be involved in another war.

The sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs came to their attention. Turning around, they saw Hutchinson coming to their call. "I say sir, what's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," he told him. "Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

The rest of the boys came running down the stairs and immediately headed off into the armory, grabbing their guns and loading them up. Both Martha and Rose stood off to the side, watching in horror. These were boys—young, innocent children being treated like soldiers. It was wrong.

"You can't do this, Doctor," Martha shouted over the commotion. He didn't seem to respond to that name, so she corrected herself. "Mr. Smith!"

John ignored her as Mr. Stewart gave orders to the boys. "Maintain position over the stable yard!"

"They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!"

"Faster now!" He commanded. "That's it."

Rose shook her head and stepped up to John. "You said it yourself, you're against them wielding weapons. How could you agree with this? You're putting them up against those freaks! They don't stand a chance!"

He turned to her with softened eyes. "We have to stick together."

"They're cadets, Miss Tyler," Mr. Stewart cut in. "They are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

"They're not _soldiers,_ they're _children!"_ She turned to John. "You can't do this. It's not the right way."

"I know, and I'm not too keen on this either, but what other options do we have?" He responded.

Rose sighed in frustration. Even as a human he was defiant. And he always says that _she_ was the stubborn one. His uneasiness with the situation was noticeable, so she felt a small bit of relief knowing that war related tactics were still uncomfortable for him.

"What in thunder's name is _this?"_ The booming and demanding voice of Headmaster stormed into the room, causing everyone to freeze in place. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain, very simply and immediately, exactly what is going on?"

John turned to the man. "Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack."

Rocastle arched his brows at the statement in doubt. "Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Rose—er, Miss Tyler," he explained. "It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir, and they've got guns. They held Miss Tyler and Martha hostage. They've already murdered people in the village, I saw it happen."

The headmaster arched an eyebrow, but seemed surprised by the circumstances. "Miss Tyler, is that so?"

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," she answered.

"Murder on our own soil?"

"We saw it, yes."

Rocastle considered them before returning his attention to John. "Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you think the danger's coming here?"

John bit his lower lip. "Well, sir, they said, um…"

"They were looking for Mr. Smith," Joan spoke up. "They said they'd follow him. We're…we're not sure why."

"Very well," Rocastle said before turning his attention to the students and the other teachers. "You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

"You can't go out there," Rose told the headmaster as he made his way to the door.

"An army of antagonists have killed on this school's territory, Miss Tyler," the headmaster replied. "It is necessary to take arms against them before any more destruction is brought here."

"It's not safe out there!" she shouted. "You may have guns, but they'll be no use for them. All of those boys are endangered because of this school's horrid lessons and lousy protocols. They won't stand a chance!"

"Rose," John said softly, placing a hand on her arm to calm her down.

Rocastle studied her with a stern expression. "Doubting the will of a union's strength is very impertinent and insensitive."

_Oh, he didn't just say that_. Rose's brows shot up to her hairline. _"Me, _insensitive!?"

John stepped closer with a hardened expression. "Headmaster, I must interject and point out that the one being ill-mannered is _you_ for speaking with such rudeness to a lady."

Rose looked at him with shock at his tone. He was defending her, just like the Doctor would. If only they could find the watch to bring him back.

"Mr. Smith, I advise you to control your lady," Rocastle directed. "And Miss Tyler, control your incivility. This school sticks together, and that's what we will do now."

Turning on his heel, the headmaster left with the other teachers. Rose inhaled a shaky breath, fighting the urge to run over to the man and smack him upside the head. How she hated snobs.

A familiar hand slipped into hers and gave a gentle squeeze. Looking over, she was met with John's soft eyes. "He's not worth it," he said quietly. "Just let him go."

"Doesn't change the fact that this is _wrong,"_ she replied.

"I know, but…" he shook his head. "Stay with Martha—"

Her stomach dropped. "Don't you go out, too."

"I'm not," he nodded at the window on the other side of the room. "I'll just stand off and watch, that's all."

"Okay, just…watch yourself," she warned. Letting go of his hand, she and Martha went off in search of the watch. She felt a twitch as she ran up to the stairs. Where the hell did it get to?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"This whole thing is nonsense," Joan commented as both Rose and Martha searched John's study for the fob watch. It couldn't have been in here, but it fell out somewhere, and it needed to be opened as soon as possible.

"Yeah…that's life," Rose said distractedly.

"But what use is a _watch_ going to do? Count down the seconds until another life is taken away?"

"No," Rose told her firmly. "It's important that we find it and restore the Doctor's consciousness. I know we sound mad, but we're not from here."

"I can see that," the matron remarked.

"It's all true," Martha spoke up, going through his mantle. "Crazy as it may be, it's real. When the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and stored it inside the watch. It's not _really_ a watch, it just _looks_ like a watch."

"And alien means…not from abroad, I take it," Joan said slowly, just as Mr. Stewart entered the room.

Martha stopped her search to look directly at the confused woman. "The man you call John Smith…he was born on another world."

"A different species," she breathed out, trying to comprehend.

"Yeah," Rose answered as her friend went back to her search. "He may look human, but he's not, I assure you.

"I take it you two are humans, then?" Mr. Stewart asked slowly.

"Yes," Martha answered. "Don't worry about us."

Joan shook her head. "But…what about you, Rose? Those…people seemed to have their minds set on wanting you as well."

"Well…it's complicated," Rose answered truthfully before waving it off.

"So, you're actually an _alien,"_ Mr. Stewart concluded.

"No," she said quickly before adding, "For the most part. I mean, I'm _human,_ just…more…" she trailed off figuring out how she could explain her situation.

"Unique," Martha supplied. "She's…that's all there is to her. She's just…more."

Shifting in his spot, Mr. Stewart scratched his chin. "Then where do you two fit in with this…fairy tale? What are you to him?"

Rose bit her lip as a small bit of pain crossed through her heart. Despite all of the bitterness and issues going on between them personally, there was one thing she was certain of. "I'm everything to him," she answered softly. "His best friend, his whole world, and…his _love."_

Joan nodded. "I should've known." She turned to Martha. "And you?"

"I'm just their friend," she answered. I travel with them. I don't just follow them around, I'm training to be a doctor."

"Not an alien doctor," Rose added. "She's gonna be a _proper_ doctor, like ones in hospitals."

"Well _that_ certainly is nonsense," Joan scoffed, eyeing Martha with a judgement. "Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of _your_ color."

Rose gave her a pointed look. "Seriously? Murderous aliens have possessed humans, and are causing mayhem all around, and _that's_ what you don't believe? _Shame_ on you!"

"It could never happen! I'd actually believe the aliens part before _that."_

"Oh, really?" Martha snapped as she turned to the woman. "Bones of the hand," she held up her hand, pointing to certain parts and described them with ease. "Carpal bones, proximal row: scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform. Distal row: trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metecarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges: proximal, middle, distal."

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and nodded with a proud smile on her face. It was about time someone in this school would stop underestimating Martha's brilliance. Finally she proved them all wrong.

The matron blinked in shock. "You read that in a book."

Martha chuckled. "Yes, to pass my exams. Can't you see this is true?"

"I must go," Joan said, trying to head out of the room.

"If we find that watch, then we can stop them," Rose told her firmly.

"Those boys are going to fight," the matron said. "I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me."

As she ran out of the room, Mr. Stewart looked at them for moment. "You've rendered her gobsmacked." Martha shrugged in response. "Well, if everything you've said is true, then we'll ready ourselves." With that, the teacher left before following her.

"He seems to accept this fairly quickly," Martha commented.

Rose let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, the Doctor will never forgive us for any this," she said. "And it's all my fault 'cause I lost the watch. Where the hell is it?" She picked up a stray book from the desk and hurtled it across the room in frustration.

"Hey, hey," Martha said, placing her hands on Rose's shoulders. "Relax. We'll find the watch, Rose. Soon, this will all be over, and everything will be back to normal. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was an accident."

Rose let out a mirthless chuckle, her eyes misting with unshed tears. "Yeah, it was just a small accident, a little slip," she said sarcastically. "The _one_ job I had to do and I _failed_ at it. How could he trust me? I'm worthless," she added with a small voice.

Martha shook her head. "You're _not_ worthless, Rose. The Doctor trusts you with everything, just as you do for him. I promise we'll find the watch, and then this madness will end." Taking in a shaky breath, Rose brushed the loose strands of her hair off her face and nodded. "There's one thing that I don't get though," Martha added.

"What's that?"

"How could they detect _you?_ I thought that bracelet was supposed to keep you hidden."

"It _was,_ but apparently it's not as strong as the Doctor thought," Rose said flatly. So not only are they hunting him, but now they'll come after her. _Wonderful._ Of course, she should've seen this coming. "Let's not worry about that right now. We gotta find the watch."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Standing by the window and hiding behind the curtains so not to be seen, John watched anxiously as Headmaster Rocastle and Mr. Philips went to confront the antagonists. The whole group wasn't present—only Baines and Jenny—but they weren't alone as they had an army of scarecrows lined up behind them.

If only this was one of his dreams.

"So," the headmaster remarked. "Baines and one of the cleaning staff." He shook his head. "There's always a woman involved. Am I to gather that some practical joke has got out of hand?"

Baines cocked his head and gave that crooked smile. "Headmaster, sir, good evening, sir. Come to give me a caning, sir? Would you like that, sir?"

"Keep a civil tongue, boy," Rocastle scolded.

"Now, come now everyone," Mr. Philips cut in with raised hands. "I suspect alcohol has played its part in this, let's all just calm down. And who are these friends of yours, Baines, in their fancy dresses?"

"Do you like them, Mr. Philips?" Baines said as he turned to look at the group of scarecrows. "I made them myself. I'm ever so good at science, sir. Look," he reached over and pulled off one of their arms, "Molecular fringe animation fashioned in the shape of straw men. My own private army, sir. Ever so good, sir."

John gulped as he watched from inside. Why did those scientific terms seem so…familiar?

"Baines, step apart from this company and come inside with me," Rocastle ordered.

"No, sir," Baines responded. _"You,_ sir—_you_ will send us Mr. John Smith. That's all we want, sir—Mr. John Smith and whatever he's done with his Time Lord consciousness. We also wouldn't mind if you sent us the blonde woman along with him—the Time Lord and the Bad Wolf. That's all we want. Then we'd be very happy to leave you alone."

John's heart began to pound at that name again—_Bad Wolf._ No, that couldn't be…he heard of that name in his dreams countless times, but…not Rose. That couldn't be his Rose. Right?

Rocastle studied Baines. "You speak with someone else's voice, Baines. Who might that be?"

"We are the Family of Blood," the possessed boy answered.

"Mr. Smith said there had been deaths."

"Yes, sir! And they were _good,_ sir!"

"Well, I warn you, the school is armed."

Baines chuckled. "All your little tin soldiers," he mocked. "But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"

Rocastle shook his head. "I don't understand."

"What do you know of history, sir? What do you know of next year?"

"You're not making sense, Baines."

"1914, sir," Baines told. "Because the Family has travelled far and wide looking for Mr. Smith and, oh, the things we have seen. War is coming—in foreign fields, war of the whole wide world, with all your boys falling down in the mud. Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?"

_No. That was just a dream_, John thought to himself.

"Don't you forget, boy, I've been a soldier!" Rocastle said loudly. "I was in South Africa. I used my dead mates as sandbags, I fought with the butt of my rifle when the bullets ran out, and I would go back there tomorrow for King and Country!"

Baines rolled his eyes. "Et cetera, et cetera." With that he suddenly brought up his gun and fired at Mr. Philips, vaporizing him. Rocastle flinched as the boy continued. "Run along, headmaster. Run back to the school, and send us Mr. Smith! And maybe throw in the Bad Wolf!" The headmaster quickly turned and ran back inside.

John walked away from the window and scrubbed a hand down the lower half of his face, his nerves shaking. This couldn't be happening. How could those…mad people possibly know about his dream?

The sound of heavy footsteps came to his attention. It had taken the headmaster a total of probably three seconds to rush back inside. "Mr. Philips has been _murdered,_ Mr. Smith. Can you tell me why?" he demanded, causing the boys around to mutter.

"Honestly, sir, I have no idea," he said truthfully.

"For some reason they seem determined to capture you and Miss Tyler," he pointed out.

John shook his head. "Sir, I've no idea what they want from us—from _me_—but that's not the only problem. The telephone line has been disconnected. We're on our own."

A darkened expression crossed Rocastle's face. "If we have to make a fight of it, then make a fight we _shall."_ He turned to the boys. "Hutchinson, we'll build a barricade within the courtyards—fortify the entrances, build our defences. Gentlemen, in the name of the King, we shall stand against them!"

"Yes, sir!" the boys shouted in unison. Nodding, the headmaster left with the boys eagerly following.

A sickening feeling washed over him, making him want to gag. The whole idea of war always made him uncomfortable, but it seemed to be worse as if…he was in one himself, which was impossible since he's never been in a battle in his life. But in the back of his mind, he felt a tug trying to say otherwise.

Letting out a heavy sigh, John slowly trudged along with the others to aid them in the upcoming battle. He may not know exactly what the result of this would be, but one thing he was certain about was that he would never forgive himself for this.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Still searching for the watch and mentally kicking herself for losing it in the first place, Rose frantically checked the lower floors while Martha made her way through the higher ones. The longer they were without the watch, the more in danger everyone here was in. They needed to Doctor _now. _Rushing down the flight of stairs, she ran past a room but skidded to a stop at the tired sound of John's voice. He appeared to be giving instructions to a group of boys preparing for battle.

"You're with Armitage and Thwaites, they know the drill," he was instructing. He glanced up and noticed her presence then dismissed the boys. Coming to her side, he shook his head at her. "Rose, it's not safe."

"Doesn't matter, I can't let you go out there," she told him firmly.

"Please, Rose, I don't want you to come anywhere near those people. It's too dangerous." He pressed his lips tightly together, revealing his deep dimples. "This really wasn't quite how I pictured tonight going," he commented sheepishly.

Rose chuckled once. "Oh, it could be worse," she said lightly.

Given the circumstances this was _exactly_ how it would happen. With the life she and the Doctor had anything's possible. And that's what she needed, what everyone needed right now—_the Doctor._ But how could she bring John into realizing he wasn't real?

"John, you said that you were from Nottingham," she mentioned.

He gave her a confused look. "Yes…"

"Tell me about it," she urged.

"Sorry?"

"Tell me about it."

"Well…it lies on the River Leen," he told. "Its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber—"

_Yep, he sounded like an encyclopedia._ "Where did you live?"

"Broadmoor Street, adjacent to Hotley Terrace in the district of Radford Parade."

Rose felt a small bit of pain for him. He was a man with many fictional fantasies, but what he didn't know was that _he_ was the fictional one. She became too attached to him—which she had a feeling would happen anyway since he's still technically the Doctor, but at the same time he wasn't him. Still conflicted and confused, she wanted to try to get him to realize who he really was. Hopefully he could at least realize it without the watch here to speed up the process. Where the hell is that bloody watch?

"Why are you wondering about my childhood all of a sudden?" John asked curiously.

She closed her eyes for a moment and lowered her head. The last thing she wanted was to break his single human heart—but she didn't want to send him out in another battle.

John placed two fingers under her chin to bring her back up to face him. "I won't let anything happen to you, Rose," he said softly. "This will all be over soon, and everything will go back to normal." She shook her head, keeping her eyes shut. How she could only hope for that. "You don't believe me," he said, moving his hand to her cheek. "Rose, why—"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, but…you're not real, John."

He chuckled through his nose and smirked. "Of _course_ I'm real, look at me. How can I not be real?"

"Because you're really the Doctor," she told him, opening her eyes.

The smirk instantly fell from his face as he was taken aback by her words. "No…"

"Listen to me," she tried. "We have to find a watch—you know that watch I carry? It's lost, and we need to find it. It's _you."_ He shook his head, failing to comprehend. "I know it's hard to understand, John, I'm sorry but—"

"You _actually_ believe that," he said in disbelief, dropping his hand from her cheek. "You really believe that I'm the Doctor? How can you think that I'm not real? When I kissed you, was that a lie?"

"No, it wasn't," she assured. "No."

"But this Doctor sounds like some…some romantic lost prince! Would you rather that? Am I not enough?"

"No, that's not it," Rose said quickly, placing one hand on his chest and another on his face, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "John, listen—"

"Mr. Smith, if you please!" Rocastle called out.

"Don't do this," she told him. "They're just boys, they're _children._ Whether you're the Doctor or John Smith, you know that this is wrong regardless." He glanced over at her. "Please, you can't let them go through with this."

The headmaster called out for him again, causing him to turn around at the sound of his name.

Reluctantly he turned back to her, his voice torn. "What choice do I have now?"

After a beat, he raised a hand and pressed it to her cheek before leaning down and crashing his lips to hers. A moment later he pulled away and rushed out of the room. Standing alone all Rose could do was watch him as as he went out into battle, her heart clenching in her chest. Once they found the watch, John would be gone. But convincing him that he was fictional was proving to be difficult.

She wasn't giving up on him, though. He may be in denial, but deep down he knew he was the Doctor, he just had to. Rose believed so. And even if he didn't, she would _make_ him believe.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The group of boys were huddling together outside in preparations for the upcoming battle—all except for Timothy. Frozen in place, he was met with the same odd vision he had seen earlier during their lessons in the fields. Images of war—bloodshed, mud, wires, madness. Loud eruptions from the battleground causing rubble to rain upon the soldiers. He saw himself in the middle of it all, both he and Hutchinson. They hid down in a hole, shielding themselves from the chaos. A flare shot across the sky just above them prompting them to duck for cover. Tim noticed he had the watch in his hand—the very object he had in his pocket at the moment.

They may be going to battle right now, but going by the visions they would survive this…and have to be ready for another.

"Get those bags piled up, filth," Hutchinson ordered, bringing him out of his daze. "Gonna mean the difference between life and death for us."

"Not for you and me," Tim told him.

Hutchinson gave him a pointed look. "What are you babbling about?"

"We're going to battle together…we fight alongside, I've seen it. Not here, not now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you and I both survive this," Tim assured. "And maybe…" he reached in his pocket and pulled out the watch from the vision, staring at it. "Maybe I was given this watch so I could help." Looking back up at a confused Hutchinson, Tim shook his head. "I'm sorry." Rising to his feet he ran back inside the school.

"Latimer, you filthy coward!" Hutchinson yelled after him.

"Oh, yes, sir! Every time!" _Better to be a coward than a killer,_ he thought as he headed into the dark hallways.

Passing by he caught a glimpse of Mr. Smith and Miss Tyler in one of the rooms conversing. Coming to a quick stop, he watched from afar in the shadows and listened to what they were saying.

The booming, demanding voice from the headmaster called for Mr. Smith, causing Tim to jump and keep himself hidden more. From where he stood, he could easily make out both of the adults' expressions. They seemed desperate and torn. Mr. Smith stared at Miss Tyler for a moment before leaning down to give her a kiss.

Another vision flooded Tim's mind as he was met with the Doctor and Miss Tyler—Rose—standing together surrounded by the light of a fireplace in a room decorated for Christmas. An object was floating in the air above their heads, glowing gold as they shared a loving kiss beneath it.

Blinking, the images passed and he saw Miss Tyler standing alone in the room, looking forlorn. Running back in the hallways he came to a corner and sat down on the ground with his back against the wall. With the watch still in his hand, he traced the circular shapes engraved on the silver case before opening it again.

Once again, he saw an image of Rose bathed in a golden light, burning like the Sun, her eyes shining bright.

"_Bad Wolf_," the man's whisper said.

In a blur another vision came to him: the Doctor and Rose were in a large white room, holding onto levers as whipping winds pulled at them in a gaping hole in the wall. Rose's grip had slipped, and she cried out as she headed straight for the opening. The Doctor screamed as he helplessly watched in horror until the hole closed and the winds stopped, and Rose connected with the wall. He ran over to her immediately and pulled her into his arms.

Almost too quickly, he was overwhelmed with other visions of the two. It was hard to make them out clearly as they moved in such a dizzying pace, radiating strong emotions of fury, desperation, sadness, and guilt. But when they came to a stop an intense feeling washed over him. Something so clear and evident it was impossible to miss.

The Doctor loves Rose Tyler. More than anything in the world, she's the one thing that gives him hope, the only one that could save him. Two lonely souls that would burn in the golden light together…forever.

"_She must be safe,_" the whisper said.

"What?" Tim asked quietly.

"_Keep safe._"

That wasn't helping him. "What do I do?"

"_Beware_…"

"Beware of what?"

"_Her_."

Just as he was about to question again, he glanced up to see Lucy Cartwright standing at the other end of the hall, still holding her red balloon and staring at him with a blank expression as she inhaled deeply. Quickly rising to his feet, he pocketed the watch. "Keep away," he told her in a louder voice, masking the slight shaky feeling he felt inside.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I saw you at the dance. You were with that family. You're one of them."

Lucy tilted her head. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," he said evenly.

"What have you got there?"

"Nothing."

The girl began to slowly walk towards him with a mocking smirk. "Show me, little boy."

Warily backing away from her, he tried to keep his guard up. "I reckon whatever you are, you're still in the shape of a girl. How strong is she, do you think?" His fingers twitched as he reached into his pocket. "Does she really want to see this?"

Bringing out the watch, he snapped it open and held it out in front of him. The golden light poured out again along with another image. What appeared to be fire flickered down as it revealed the Doctor looking down, a cold hard expression on his face as water rained down on him, the fires behind him raging.

Lucy's eyes widened in fear at the image, causing her to flinch before turning and running away. Once she was gone Tim shut the watch and looked down at the object in wonder.

* * *

**Responses to: Demigodfrompanem, and ****random fangirl; ****Hi again! I'm glad you're all enjoying this! ;)**


	36. Family of Blood Part 2

**A/N: Next part. ****Many thanks to the lovely viewers of this story! You all deserve some treats lol ;D**

* * *

_**Chapter 36: Family of Blood Part 2**_

Closing his eyes, John tried to settle himself down. Not only was he reeling from standing with the boys as they readied themselves for this fight, which was more than uncomfortable for him, to say the least - but he couldn't believe what Rose had told him.

"You alright, Mr. Smith?" Mr. Stewart asked from the side.

John cleared his throat. "Yes…" he let out a sigh. "No…"

"Still no ideas about why those people are after you?"

He shook his head. "It's madness, that's all there is to it. Utter and complete _madness_."

"Whatever it is, they seem pretty determined to get to you. They even wanted Miss Tyler. Madness definitely plays a part in this, but it's unusual."

Biting his lip, John took a deep breath. "She believes that I'm the Doctor," he said quietly. "How could she think that?"

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "With everything that's going on, the possibilities are endless."

"What, _you_ believe that, _too?"_ John accused.

"John, look around you. Look at everything that happened tonight. All's I'm saying is that after hearing those stories of yours—"

"That's all they are," John cut in sharply. "Just _stories._ Ridiculous and remarkable tales in a journal. That's all."

"Then what do you make of Miss Tyler's situation?" Mr. Stewart asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

John clenched his jaw tight and remained silent. How can she believe that he was the mad man from his dreams? They were just _stories_. Stories that could be told to others for entertainment, a piece of his imagination. Surely he couldn't be him. Right? But the family hunting him down also want something to do with her as well. Something about the Bad Wolf. He had mentioned that name a lot in his journal, and when he sketched its form it was always an angelic image of Rose shining bright with a golden light. Was Rose…Bad Wolf? No, it couldn't be—

"Stand to!" the headmaster ordered, snapping John back into reality and away from his fantasies. That is…if they really were fantasies… He shook his head as he, along with the boys positioned themselves in front of the main entrance doors. "At post!"

Everyone raised their guns and took aim, John included. Though he was holding it steady, his stomach was churning and his insides trembled. He always had a distaste for weapons, but why did this seem somewhat familiar to him?

"Enemy approaching, sir," one of the boys reported.

"Steady!" Rocastle ordered. "Find the biting point." Everyone tightened their grip on their guns when the wooden bar across the entrance gate cracked as the entourage of scarecrows came through. "Fire!"

At the command the boys unloaded all they could as they shot at the scarecrow men. Some were falling and blowing up, but others kept coming. One by one the army of stuffed creatures took the bullets. All of the boys were resilient as they never stopped for a beat. If only John could say the same for himself.

While everyone else was obeying the headmaster's orders, he just stood frozen in his position, his grip tightened on his gun and his finger trembling on the trigger. He couldn't bring himself to fire even one bullet. Glancing at his surroundings, he felt his heart clench and his stomach wretch. For a moment his vision blurred as his ears buzzed and rang, a wave of lightheadedness crashing over him.

This was wrong. He knew it all along that this was not the way to fight, but he was caught in the hysteria and went along with it. He could see it on the boys' faces—all exhausted, and frightened. They were basically being forced into this situation against their will. Rose was right—regardless of who he was, this wasn't the right thing to do. Standing by her beliefs as well as his own, he lowered his gun.

Not much longer the last scarecrow fell to the ground. "Cease fire!" Rocastle directed. At his word, the boys stopped firing and lowered their guns as well. The headmaster walked amongst the bodies, a ridiculing smirk on his face. "They're straw, like he said. Straw!"

Hutchinson turned to John. "Then no one's dead, sir? We killed no one?"

"No," he said softly, looking down at the boy. "No, you didn't." Relief washed over him at that fact. He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself if he, or any of these boys for that matter, were to kill others.

And then he heard approaching footsteps, causing the headmaster to order once again, "Stand to!"

Looking ahead, John's eyes widened at the figure entering.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Still inside the school Rose sat on the bottom of the flight of stairs, inwardly wincing at the sound of gunfire. She let John go out into battle. She let him wield a gun, something the Doctor would consider to be taboo. How would he forgive her for that?

Her head shot up when the commotion ended not much longer after. The sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs got her attention. Turning around she found Martha coming down with Joan. Judging by the look on her face, she had no luck in the search for the watch either.

"Is it over?" Martha asked.

Letting out a sigh, Rose shrugged. "I dunno."

Walking over to stand by the window, the women peered out to see the fallen bodies of the possessed scarecrows. Rose scanned the area and took in the tired and confused faces of the boys. So young and innocent being forced into being trained like soldiers. She noticed John off to the side, appearing uneasy. At least he still remembered that battles sickened him. Eyeing his rifle, it looked like all of the bullets were still loaded inside. Did he refrain from firing?

"Stand to!" They heard Rocastle shout, prompting the boys to get back into their positions. Apparently it wasn't over just yet.

Off in the distance was another figure. Rose felt a chill shoot down her spine when she recognized the person. "Oh, no."

The little girl from the Family entered, the red balloon still in her hand. Not even hesitating, she ran out of the room to head outside.

"It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it?" Rocastle said, walking over to the girl. "Come here, come to me."

"No!" Rose yelled once she made it outside. "Please, Headmaster, don't go anywhere near her!"

Rocastle turned to John. "Mr. Smith, I told you to control your lady," he said strictly before turning to Rose. "Miss Tyler, I advised you to keep that uncivil tongue of yours quiet!"

"And I advise _you_ to shut the hell up for one bloody second and _listen_ to _me!"_ She shot back, angrily. "That girl isn't a girl anymore, she's one of _them!_ She's part of the Family!" Turning her head she noticed Martha and Joan standing by the doors. "Tell him, girls!"

"It's true, sir," Martha assured.

"I-I don't know," Joan stammered, her fear showing. "I think you should stay back, Headmaster."

Mr. Stewart stood beside her and held her hand for support. "Those…people are not to be trusted, sir. She's not a child anymore."

Rocastle arched an eyebrow at them, still doubting their affirmations.

"John," Rose called him out. Some more defending would be nice.

"Sir, you have to believe us," John spoke up, after a slight hesitation. "She was there…with-with Baines in the village. She is a part of them."

"Mr. Smith, I have seen many strange things this night, but there is _no_cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir."

Rose slapped her thighs and inwardly sighed. This man deserved a decent slap to the face. It may result in her being fired, but…_what the hell was she talking about?_ She doesn't really work here. What's stopping her?

Rocastle went back over to the girl. "Come with me."

"You're funny," she said.

"That's right. Now, take my hand."

"So funny."

In a flash, she reached into her coat drawing one of those vaporizing guns and shot the headmaster.

Everyone jumped at the sudden movement, staring at her in shock. Rose was expecting it to happen which was why she was trying to warn Rocastle before he put himself in danger. To see an alien entity possessing a person is sickening enough, but doing so to a _child_? That's on a whole other level of sick.

This couldn't be happening, John kept repeating in his mind. People have died…and it was because of him. All because these mad…aliens want him for some reason. He glanced over at Rose. They also wanted her, but why? How could she have been brought into this mess? Whatever the reasons, he was going to make sure she was safe, and not to be held in their clutches.

"Now, who's going to shoot me?" The girl challenged, her voice taking on a darkened tone. "Any of you?" No one made a move. "_Really_?"

Though he was still shaking inside, John found a steady voice and decided to assume authority. "Put down your guns!" He ordered at the boys.

"But, sir," Hutchinson began with a low voice. "The Headmaster—"

"I'll not see this happen. Not anymore," he replied. "You will retreat in an orderly fashion back through the school." He faced the boy closest to him. "Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But, sir—"

"I said lead the way!" He hollered.

"Just do what he says!" Rose told the boy.

"Go on, then," came the mocking voice of Baines, who managed to slither his way through the gate. "Run!" Raising his gun in the air he fired a shot, causing the boys to scatter in fear and rush back into the school. John pushed the girls in front of him as everyone made their way back inside, they heard Baines cry out to the scarecrow army, "Reanimate!"

Shutting the door and locking it behind him, he and Mr. Stewart, along with the women, ushered the boys down in the lower passages to safety and away from the school.

"Let's go! Quick as you can!" John shouted.

"Careful, boys!" Martha told them.

"Don't go to the village!" Rose added, leading the boys out. "It's not safe!"

"And you, ladies," John addressed the women.

"Don't you dare," Rose said firmly. "We're not going anywhere."

"Not til we've got the boys out," Joan added.

Once the area was cleared, he sighed. "Now, I insist, the three of you just go."

Rose snorted. "You really think that'll happen?"

"Please, Rose," he said evenly. "If there are any more boys inside, Mr. Stewart and I will find them." The last thing he wanted was for them to be in more danger than they already were—and Rose…well, he won't anything happen to her.

Turning to the door off to the side, he opened it…and was met with a group of the scarecrows. "Um. Right," he breathed out.

"You were saying…?" Rose asked.

"I think…retreat!" He closed the door quickly and hurried out to the nearest exit near the back of the school. Once he instinctively reached for Rose's hand as they ran, he felt a strange sudden sense of déjà vu.

What else could possibly happen tonight?

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Making their way around the school they came to a sudden stop when they heard Mr. Clarke calling for the Doctor in the distance. "Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize."

John kneeled to the ground behind the bushes and grass with both Rose and Martha beside him, and Mr. Stewart and Joan to the back. Peering ahead of them, Rose felt a twitch when she noticed exactly where they were. She's been familiar with this area for two months, and for good reason.

The TARDIS was up ahead with the Family surrounding it.

"The magic box," Joan breathed out in disbelief.

"Out you come, Doctor!" Baines called out, speaking as if he were taking to a pet. "There's a good boy. Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now!" Jenny added. "Come out, Doctor! You and the Bad Wolf can't run away forever. Come to us!"

_No, no, no,_ John repeated in his head. It was the box—the blue box from his dreams. But…it couldn't be. For a second he felt his heart stop beating as his eyes remained fixed on the object. It was impossible!

"You recognize it, don't you?" Rose asked softly.

He hesitated, not wanting to believe any of those ridiculous accusations were true. That wasn't his life, it just wasn't. "I've never seen it in my life," he told her, trying to hide his fear but he figured she'd know he was lying.

"Do you remember its name?" Martha asked.

"That's…impossible," Mr. Stewart commented.

Rose placed a gentle hand to his arm. "John, you wrote about it," she said quietly. "You dreamt of it, the blue box. Remember?"

His eyes flitted between the blue box and the family surrounding it, waiting to capture him and even try to take away his Rose. By everything he knew of this Doctor, he was like a lost prince whose life was filled with hurt, and fury, and tragedy. How can that be a way of life? _His_ life? Rose couldn't possibly be involved in it, could she? Is she a part of this too? He glanced over at the woman beside him before turning away.

"I-I'm not…" he breathed out, trying to calm his nerves. "I'm John Smith," he insisted, choking back on a sob as he turned back to face Rose. "That's all I want to be: John Smith with his life…and his job…" his voice cracked as he stared into her wide, hazel eyes. "…and his _love_. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes," Rose assured him, placing a hand on his face. "Of course he is."

He blinked, forcing his misty eyes to dry and pleaded. "Why can't I stay?"

His breaths were shaky as she studied him. If she was a part of this madness, he wouldn't want to drag her with him. He'd want her safe, to know that there would be no worries as long as he was right by her side.

"But we need the Doctor," Martha spoke up from his opposite side.

Whipping his head around, John glared at her. "What am I then? _Nothing?"_ His eyes burned with unshed tears. "I'm just a story!"

With that, he avoided any glances at the others and swiftly stood to his feet before taking off. All he wanted to do was run. Just keep on running—running away from the truth, the lies, and impossible life that very well might be his.

Watching John take off, Rose shot a glance at Martha. "C'mon!"

They, along with Joan and Mr. Stewart not far behind, ran after him. Catching up to John, Martha asked. "Wait, where are we going?

"This way," Joan called, directing them down a street both on the outskirts of the village, "I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John told them strictly.

"But where?" Mr. Stewart asked. "There's nowhere safe to be. That Family could track you down easily." He glanced over at Rose. "Both of you."

"Trust me," Joan interjected. "I know a place, follow me."

John shook his head defiantly. "Oh, no—"

"John, just listen to us for once," Rose said, grabbing his hand.

She made a move to run and follow the others, but he pulled her back and stared at her. "What's going on? Really, what's the meaning of all of this?"

She swallowed hard. "Now's not the time for questions," she responded.

"Fine, then just give me the answers," he pleaded.

Instead of replying, she tugged his hand and brought them back to running. This whole entire thing was hurting her inside. John was just a simple man—but he was a man of fiction. He wasn't real.

Joan led the group down another road before turning a corner. After a few more minutes of tiring sprinting, they came up to a small, dark house surrounded by grass and shrubbery. "Here we are. It should be empty," she said, catching her breath.

"My Lord," Mr. Stewart said, wiping his forehead. "It's been a long time since I've run that far."

Rose snorted. "Welcome to our life." This was a small jog compared to all of the running she's done for the last two and a half years.

Opening the door, Joan walked inside with the others right behind her. Looking around, it was a simple and basic cottage style kitchen with a small table in the center and a den on the other side.

"But who lives here?" Martha asked.

"If I'm right, no one," Joan replied before calling out. "Hello?No one home. We should be safe here, then"

Rose saw a small tea set laid out on the table. "Whose house is this?"

"Wait, this is the Cartwrights' residence," Mr. Stewart informed.

"So, that little girl," Martha began. "She lived here?"

Joan nodded. "She's Lucy Cartwright…or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's_form._ If she came home this afternoon, and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished." She went to the table and placed a hand on the teapot. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

"Been there before," Rose muttered quietly.

With heavy footsteps John plopped down in one of the chairs seated at the table, his head held in his hands. An awkward silence hung in the air until Mr. Stewart spoke up.

"Now what do we do? We certainly can't stay here forever."

"I must go to them," John announced, raising his head. "Before anyone else dies."

Rose's eyes widened. "Don't you dare," she said firmly. "Those deaths weren't _your_ fault, d'you hear me?"

"How can you say that?" He said with a broken voice, that familiar brooding expression making its first appearance in over two months. "Those people are looking for me—"

"Well, they found me now, so they're coming for _us,"_ she retorted.

John shook his head. "I won't let them get anywhere near you."

"And I'm not letting you throw yourself out there like a piece of meat!"

"There must be something we can do," Joan said. "Martha?"

Martha shook her head. "Not without the watch."

John straightened himself up and turned his head to Martha, a nasty glare in his eyes. "You're this Doctor's companion, can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need _you?"_

"I'm his friend," she said in an even voice.

"I fail to see how that's going to help me here!" he snapped.

Rose smacked his arm. "Stop it! Don't you yell at her! She's our friend, and she's been through enough in this bleedin' place, so stop!" She let out a sigh. "God, and I thought you were rude enough as a _Time Lord."_

"How are you a part of this, Rose?" he pleaded. "Tell me how you're included in this mess, really."

She tightened her grip on his hand, lowering her voice. "I'm his best friend. I'm the one who keeps his head on straight. When I met him, he was broken and alone with nothing to look forward to. But then he came into my life, and now he'll never be alone anymore." She ducked her head for a moment. "I'm a lot of things to him, but most importantly…I'm the love of his life."

His eyes widened at her words, his face appearing paler. "No…" he breathed out.

A sudden knock on the door caused John and Rose to rise from their seats and everyone else to freeze in place.

"What if it's them?" Joan asked in a whisper.

"I'm not an expert," Martha spoke quietly. "But I don't think scarecrows knock."

Turning around, she walked cautiously over to the door and opened it a crack. After a second, she pulled it open wider - and Rose was shocked to see who it was.

_"Tim?_ What are you doing here?"

"I brought you this," the boy said.

Though she was shocked to find Timothy Latimer at the door, who walked to a dark cottage near the edge of the village all by himself knowing full well the Family was still out there, Rose felt relief wash over her once she caught sight of the Doctor's fob watch in his hand. How did he know for sure that they needed it?

Martha took the watch from him and pulled him inside, quickly shutting the door. She walked up to John and held the watch out for him. "Hold it."

John stared at the object fearfully, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He shook his head. "I won't."

"Please, just hold it for a moment," she insisted. This time, he didn't respond to her, and just kept his eyes fixed on the watch.

"It told me to find you," Tim said. "It wants to be held."

"You've had it all this time?" Rose asked. "Tim, why didn't you return it?"

"Because it was waiting…and because I was scared of the Doctor," he admitted.

"Why?" Mr. Stewart asked curiously.

Tim turned to face John, slowly explaining. "Because…I've seen him. He's like fire…and ice, and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the Sun."

"Stop it," John said quietly, trying desperately to keep his composure.

"He's ancient and forever," the boy continued. "He burns at the center of Time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it!" John cried, unable to hide the slight panic that escaped from him. "I said stop it!"

"And…he's _wonderful,"_ Tim finished.

Rose couldn't help but smile at the boy's description. No matter how much the Doctor may beat himself up over everything he's ever done, he would always be the most wonderful man in the universe.

"Both he and the Bad Wolf," Tim continued, catching Rose off guard. He saw her too? "The one who created herself, who burns in the center of Time with him. She imprinted herself onto his soul, casting off her angelic golden glow to brighten his darkness. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, dancing across the stars…just as it should be. Forever."

Silence fell once more in the room, the only sounds being the shaky breaths that John was inhaling. For a moment he felt his heart stop, a heavy weight pressing down onto his chest. He desperately tried to convince himself to not believe in any of these revelations, but…deep inside he felt that tug again telling him otherwise.

"John…" Rose spoke, her voice soft.

He didn't glance over at her. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the ground.

"I hope you don't mind me taking this," Joan said to her. John looked up and saw the matron reach into her dress pocket and pull out his journal. "When we were searching for the watch, I came across your journal in Rose's room, John."

"Those are just stories," he said quickly.

"No, John," Rose said, grabbing his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "We know that's not true."

He shook his head. "I'm not a story," he denied, his voice shaky. "I-I just can't be."

"We're all stories in the end," she said quietly.

The matron began to look through his journal. "Perhaps there's something in here—"

Suddenly an explosion outside rocked the cottage, causing everyone to brace themselves. "What the hell?" Martha exclaimed.

They all huddled around the window to see the horrible scene of flares shooting across the sky and falling bombs. "They're destroying the village," Mr. Stewart proclaimed. "Now what?"

John spun around with a frustrated noise. "The watch." He moved to the table and picked it up.

Both he and Rose gasped when they heard the whisper. _"Closer…"_

"Can you hear it?" Tim asked him.

_"Closer…closer…"_

Lifting it up he studied the watch intently. "I think he's asleep—waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?" Tim asked.

"Oh, low-level telepathic field," he said in that familiar arrogant and chipper voice that was the Doctor's. Rose couldn't help but smile as he continued. "You were born with it. Just and extra synaptic engram causing—" he stopped with widened eyes and gasped. Staring at the watch for another moment, he looked back up at them, his fear evident. "Is that how he talks?"

"That's him!" Rose exclaimed, but her face fell when she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"All you have to do is open the watch and he's back," Martha told him.

He glared at her again. "You knew this all along!" he accused, not bringing himself to look over at Rose. Deep down he just couldn't blame her for everything that happened. "And yet you just watched while I fell in love with Rose—"

"I didn't know how to stop you!" Martha shot back. "I didn't wanna come between you two. How do you think Rose felt? I may have been through enough these past two months, but she's been struggling to get to close to you because you're similar to the Doctor and have the same feelings that he has for her—"

"But he _hurt_ her," he ground out. "I felt it…I saw it in some of my dreams, the ones that I didn't dare to write down. He filled her life with pain and misery, leaving her aside all because of his own _cowardice."_

"No, she's his entire world—"

"If that's the case, then why would he continually hurt her?" he retorted.

"That's not—"

"No, that's _exactly_ what he does. He ruins her life, and now he's ruining mine. What Rose and I have…" The woman being mentioned remained silent and watched on, fighting back on her tears. John stared at her bewildered but at the same time felt a little betrayed. _How could she love a man like that?_

Martha stepped up to him. "He gave us a list of things to watch out for, but that wasn't included."

"Falling in love? _That_ didn't even occur to him?" he asked incredulously.

She looked at Rose, whose eyes were shut. "Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. Regardless, he has Rose. All he wanted was for her to be safe."

_"Safe?_ She's in even _more_ danger! Those people or…aliens, whatever they are, they're now looking for her now."

"Which is why we need the Doctor," she stressed. "So he can save her, just like he always does."

"A man with a medical name who claims to help others when all he does is poison those around him. What sort of man is that? And now you expect me to _die?"_

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha cried. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited life span, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord, or even someone as unique as Rose. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

His brows shot up to his hairline. "So your job was to _execute_ me!" he stated hotly, avoiding Rose's gaze as he spat such hurtful things.

Another explosion shook the cottage, causing everyone to hold on to whatever they could.

"People are dying out there! They need him, I need him, and most of all,_Rose_ needs him—God _knows_ how much he means to her. They love each other more than anything in the world. He's her everything just as she's his. 'Cause you've got _no_ idea what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago, but he already means so much to me—both he and Rose. They're my friends, and I'm looking out for them…especially now with all the bitterness between them. Because even though they've got each other, sometimes they both need a friend."

"But if he loves her as much as you claim, then what's holding him back from showing her?"

"Because…he's afraid of himself," Tim answered. "He loves her more than anything in the universe, and it scares him that he could still lose her. He has all of Time and Space at his fingertips, but the one thing that amazes him and makes him believe is Rose Tyler."

An even stronger explosion crashed down, violently shaking the ground beneath them. "It's getting closer," Mr. Stewart warned. "John, you have to come up with something."

Visibly swallowing, John stared hard at the watch in his hand, trying to think of alternative. Then a thought that seemed to escape his mind came to him. "I should have thought of it before!" He said, holding out the watch. "I can give them this, just the watch. Then they can leave, Rose would be safe, and I can stay as I am!"

"You _can't!"_ Rose shouted, coming out of her silent state.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him," he tried to reason.

"He'll never let you do it," Martha told him.

"And neither will I," Rose added.

John shook his head. What he thought of was a better way of handling this. The mad man they've been searching for could finally be theirs, and Rose would be safe to be with him for the rest of their lives, away from the madness and misery that came from the Doctor's life.

"If they get what they want, then-then—"

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan cut in sadly. It had escaped his mind that she had been reading through his journal. "I just read to the end of this…those creatures would live forever, to breed and conquer. War across the stars…for every child."

Any and all hope John had diminished as he felt his heart sink. So many lives would be taken away and be replaced by alienated vampires. And to top it all off…he would have to die to prevent any of that from happening. And have to leave behind the woman that he loved.

All this time Rose was fighting back on her tears, but when she saw the hurt look on John's face, she couldn't stop one of them from falling. His eyes were misty as his lips quivered, his breaths still shaky. Very rarely, in two and a half years of traveling with the Doctor, did she ever see him so broken and on the verge of tears. Of course, this wasn't him per se as it was his human self, but…to see such an expression cross his face made her heart break.

Thankfully, the others took notice. "Come," Mr. Stewart said to the others. "Let them have their moment."

Taking the hint, they each left. Martha glanced over at Rose with a saddened look in her eyes. She understood how tough this would be, and how much Rose resented this. She basically had to send John Smith to his death in order for the Doctor to come back. But Martha had faith that Rose would be strong through this hard situation. Hopefully.

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**Response to _newboy:_ Thank you so much! I'm trying my best to keep it that way. I wish it would be canon too. But that's what fanfics are for. Oh, definitely. When the Master comes in…oh boy. I've got a small idea about the whole Davros situation, but I've got a ways to go until that. **


	37. Family of Blood Part 3

**A/N: ****Many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You all keep me sane as I write this ;)**

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_**Chapter 37: Family of Blood Part 3**_

The moment the others left, what little control John had left was gone as he finally gave in and broke down. Rose moved over to him and brought him in her arms, one hand stroking his hair and the other his back. Holding onto her tightly for dear life, he buried his face in the crook of her neck as he sobbed, soaking her skin with his tears as he tried desperately to lose himself in the one he loved. This was all he wanted to do. He didn't want to let go of her, let go of his life—his happy, wonderful life with this lovely woman.

Everything he had ever known was a lie. Here he thought he was living a modest and simple life—an ordinary man with a job teaching young boys at a prestigious school who happened to fall deeply in love with a remarkable woman. But it was all false, a story of fiction. No…his actual life was one that _should_ be written down as a fictional tale, but the fact was that it was reality. He was a man—an _alien_—that traveled across the stars. Someone who carried destruction and grief wherever he roamed. The lost prince…the lonely God. And this woman, Rose Tyler, was his angel. _The Doctor's _angel. As much as it hurt him deeply, he couldn't bring himself to hate her for deceiving him.

The sobs coming out from him were enough to pain her heart as Rose couldn't help but snifflel. This man, while he wasn't the Doctor, was still someone who grew on her, someone she cared for. Someone she loved. She may have been playing with fire when she became too close to him knowing full well it was wrong, but it was too hard to keep her distance. If two weeks of distance away from the Doctor was enough to hurt her inside, then over two months was most likely going to break her. How she would've managed was impossible to know, but she found solace in this man in her arms. Conflicting as it was, the Doctor was still there, and that's all she wanted.

But now, she needed the Doctor to come out fully. After a few more moments John's sobs silenced. Patting him on the back, Rose took his hand and led them over to sit on a bench located on the other side of room by a small fireplace. If she was about to convince him to change back, she was going to do it as calm as possible. If only she could tell her nerves that.

John lowered his head and kept his eyes closed as he continued to steady his breathing. Raising the hand not holding the watch, he wiped his face dry and sniffed before staring into the flickering fire in front of them. Just watching the torn expression crossing his face was enough to make Rose cry. She's always been the person to mend a sad and broken heart—now she had to shatter one to pieces. Her stomach was churning. How could the Doctor do this to her?

"It should have been me," Rose said quietly.

He turned to her, a crease forming on his brows. "What?"

"If I could, I would have put myself in this position. I should have went through the change." She scratched her forehead. "I'm not strong enough to do something like this. I didn't want you to suffer by yourself. If I had done it with you…" she trailed off.

He said he'd never forgive himself for putting her through such pain and agony, but she didn't care how much it hurt. If she was going to suffer just to help him out, then that's what she'd do. She hated when he did drastic things alone, especially ones with extreme risks—which was usually almost every one.

"You really love him?" John asked, bringing her out of her state. His eyes were now fixed the watch as he toyed with it, rubbing his thumb over the case.

"More than anything," she told him sincerely. "Always have, and I always will."

He stopped fidgeting with the watch and turned to face her, his eyes misting over again. "How?" he questioned, his voice breaking. "How can you love a man that _hurts_ you like that? Why would you want a life that only gives you grief?"

Rose took a deep breath. She was unsure if the Doctor would remember any of this when he would change back, but she had to say it.

"It's the life I chose. I chose to be with him. He showed me a better way to live my life. It may have cost me my family, my friends, and anyone else who was close to me…but I could never bring myself to resent him for any of that—even if he blames himself for it. I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm _never_ gonna leave him. No matter what. He's been alone for so long, but he isn't anymore. It's the happiest I've ever been in my life. We both love each other, and made a promise to cherish every moment we share together."

"But he doesn't give you all of the love you _deserve,"_ John stessed. "I _could."_

"Maybe, but he expresses it in so many other ways."

John shook his head. "So…you're just going to leave me, then?"

"John—"

"You said that the Doctor was once alone," he reminded, his voice thick with emotion. "Is that what you're going to do to me?"

How could she respond to that? That was it - she had no answer for him. Once that watch is opened, John Smith would cease to exist.

"I was going to ask you to marry me."

_Wait a minute…what!?_

Rose's eyes widened at his words. Did he…? Did he just say what she _thought_ she heard him say? "W-what?" she managed to get out.

John scrubbed a hand down his face, letting it rest over his mouth for a moment before explaining.

"All this time I've had this strange feeling in the back of my mind. Like a…like a tug telling me you were the one I would spend the rest of my life with. You kept coming to all of my dreams. Every night there would be at least one or two, sometimes more than that, so many adventures with you beside me. You were _always_ there. It seemed strange at first 'cause I had no idea who you really were. You were just the beautiful woman who happened to be the librarian at the school I was teaching at. But as they continued…I felt a familiar warmness inside, like I've known you for quite some time. So I took it as a sign…" he turned to her. "I love you so much…and I wanted it to last until we…" he took in a shaky breath and turned away.

Rose didn't know what to say. John had only known her for two months and he considered the thought of making her his bride—his _wife._ She knew most of the Doctor's traits leaked through and into John, but…that was big. That was _intense._

Was that actually _the Doctor's_ feelings, or was it just _John's?_

John sniffed again. "Would _he_ want to marry you?"

"I…I don't know," she answered truthfully. "It doesn't matter if he would or not, though. We've promised each other forever no matter what. We'd love each other all the same regardless."

Being together was one thing, but to wed would be _huge._ For so long she's pondered the entertaining thought of becoming the Doctor's wife, especially with all of the times they've put on the married couple act when investigating. But that was an even bigger leap into their relationship that she was unsure if he really wanted to take it.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled sadly. "All of those stories, all of those dreams…they were real. I actually met Shakespeare…_William Shakespeare._ And-and _Charles Dickens."_ He shook his head. "All of those creatures…all that pain…and it was _real_…I wasn't…I really thought…"

Reaching over she placed a hand over his. As much as this was tearing her apart, too many deaths have occurred in this place…and now one more had to happen here in order for everything to be fixed. "I'm so sorry, John. But now it has to end. You have to open the watch."

In a flash, John stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "This is madness. I still can't believe that's my life. It's…I don't want it," he choked out.

Rose stood up from her seat. "No, no, please don't do this."

He turned around, "But…I love you," he said, tears welling up in his eyes again. "I can give you the love you deserve." He took her hands in his and held them tight. "I'm not ready to die just yet."

Rose blinked back the tears in her eyes. _"Please,_ John. Please don't make this any harder for me than it already is. It has to happen."

He lowered his head when another sob escaped from him again. Pulling her hands away from his grip, she placed them to either side of his face. His own hands came up to cover hers as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers in the most natural of gestures. At contact, a golden light surrounded Rose's vision making her head feel like she was in a cloud. A reel played before them both, images of the life John Smith could have had…a life that _she_ could have had if she were _fully_ human.

Both of them were at a wedding—_their_ wedding—being declared as man and wife before sharing their first kiss as a married couple. The next one showed Rose giving birth to their first child—a daughter. Then came another with them walking across the field with their three children, the two oldest walking ahead while the youngest was in between she and John, holding their hands. And lastly came elderly versions of themselves, John laying on a bed while Rose sat by his side. They held each other's hand as he let out his final breath and passed on peacefully. Through it all, Rose could hear the Doctor's voice in her ears, speaking words he's told her before.

_I've taken you away from things you could want one day, things that I could never be able to give you_—_the chance of a normal life with a human._

She may not be fully human anymore, but the visions she saw were images of that normal life she could have had if she was—the husband, the children, living a life day after day…the one adventure the Doctor could never have.

John pulled back with a gasp, visibly shaking after witnessing the overwhelming future that could have been his. Could have been _theirs. _"That-that could be our life," he breathed out. "We could still have that," he said with slight hope.

"But it never will be," Rose told him sadly. "I'm sorry, but you have to open it now, John."

"I don't want to go, Rose," he whispered. "I don't want to die."

A few more tears dripped from his eyes, prompting her to brush them away with her thumbs. "I know. I'm so sorry," she told him before giving him a gentle kiss to his trembling lips. "I know you'll never forgive me for this, but…I'm gonna buy you some time."

Letting him go, Rose made her way out the back door. "Rose, what are you doing?" John asked fearfully. She wasn't…no. No, no, no. "Rose, no!"

His heart stopped beating for a moment. He still wasn't keen on killing himself…but, he also wasn't thrilled about the love of his life making herself bait for _him._ Even in his dreams, he noted how stubborn she could be, and that most _definitely_ was true.

Looking down at the watch, he heard another whisper. _"Save her."_

He didn't need the watch to tell him otherwise. It was then, John made his decision.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

_What was taking them so long?_ Martha thought to herself. She, Tim, the matron, and Mr. Stewart were still waiting impatiently for something to happen. She knew how uncomfortable Rose was with this whole thing just by the torn look in her eyes. She had to convince John to open the watch, which basically meant telling him to die. It was morbid and saddening, but the Doctor was the only one who could save this place.

In the far distance, some other explosions rocked the area. "I've no experience in any of this…field of alien studies," Mr. Stewart began. "But when exactly is this Doctor going to make his appearance?"

"When the watch is opened," Martha answered.

"How will we know it's opened?" Joan asked.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure. But I'm sure—"

A piercing cry cut her off, and she recognized it easily. Both the matron and the teacher moved to enter the house, but Martha stopped them. A bright golden light shone from the windows blinding them. Shielding their eyes, it dimmed down after a moment.

Martha went over to the window, putting her hands on the glass to peer inside. All she saw was the dark…and the back door opened. Oh, no. She turned to the others, "Wait here for a second."

Rushing inside, John—or the Doctor—was standing in front of the fireplace. But Rose was nowhere in sight. Studying him, she noticed a certain ancient look in his eyes in the firelight.

"Doctor?"

"Stay here," he said with a hard voice.

"Where's Rose?"

"Martha, just go. Bring the others in here, and stay with them. When you hear a big bang, head back to the school and gather your things then get to the TARDIS. We'll join you shortly." And with that he took off out the back door.

Relief washed over her knowing that the Doctor was back, but where the hell did Rose go? She couldn't be…oh, she was. Those two are never happy unless they're putting themselves in even more danger.

If the Family had Rose, then they'll have to face the fury of the Time Lord.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Not to her surprise, it hadn't taken long for Rose to be captured. Trouble really was so easy for her to get into, but at least this was part of her plan. After leaving John to make the change, she ran through the woods and across Cooper's field. This was where that green light shot through the sky, so the Family had to be around here. And of course, someone came up to her from behind and grabbed her. Sure enough an enormous ship was parked in the distance. Perfect. Leading her right in.

"Family of Mine, look at the stray I have found wandering around," Mr. Clarke proclaimed as they entered.

Baines turned around, that creepy crooked expression still on his face. "Well done, Father of Mine. She'll be most useful as we await for the Time Lord to emerge."

"Good luck with that," Rose spat, trying to wiggle out of Mr. Clarke's grasp. "You won't get anywhere near him."

"No matter. We've been patient this whole time," Jenny said before sniffing loudly. "But as you're here we could consume the essence of the Bad Wolf instead."

"Yeah, go 'head and try," she challenged.

"Oh, the feisty ones are the most delicious!" Mr. Clarke remarked, tossing her to the ground.

"Once the Wolf is drained, those Time Lord hearts will break over his beloved, and we shall have immortality!" Baines shouted.

"And what a lovely life," Rose said angrily. "All of those innocent people that have died all because of your selfish needs. You freaks make me sick!"

Jenny snorted. "How very human of you," she sneered.

"That's right! I may be the Bad Wolf, but I'm still human enough to care about all of those that have died. Just look at you lot," she gestured to them. "Those bodies you're holding? They were humans once, and you took everything that they were and threw it away."

"Those lives were worthless little snacks," Baines told her. "And the rest of those peasants will perish and soon we will conquer."

"The Doctor won't let you. He'll stop you."

Jenny scoffed. "You talk of him like he's innocent. We've seen into the future when we came onto his trail. What we're doing is hardly comparable to the destruction that _he's_ done."

Rose shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, 'cause I know how he is. He's merciful. If someone dies in his name, he doesn't gloat or act all smug about it—he regrets it. Because he's been around for a long time and carries those who've fallen over his head and in his hearts, beating himself with every chance he gets for allowing it to happen. But he's strong…and if you're lucky, he may show some mercy for you lot despite all _you've_ done."

In response the Family burst into another fit of maniacal laughter. "The Wolf is so confident. It's no wonder he's so infatuated with you," Jenny said. "You're the only one in the entire universe that believes he's a good man."

"That's because he _is_ one," Rose stressed seriously. "He's the most wonderful man in the universe. I believe in him just as he believes in me."

Baines chuckled. "How very sentimental you are, picking up for him, and all of those dull humans out there." Another explosion in the distance got his attention as he turned to peer at a monitor and shouted with joy. "We'll blast them into dust, fuse the dust into glass, then shatter them all over again!"

By now John had to have opened the watch and the Doctor was restored. He was coming, she could feel it. The sound of something metal falling on the ground with a pang. Off to the side, she noticed the Doctor stumbling inside the ship…or rather John as he was trembling with fear with his hands held up in a peaceful manner. Oh, great.

"Just—" he began before clumsily tripping and hitting a panel of buttons to the side. "Just stop the bombardment, and don't hurt Rose. Just let her go and stop these attacks, that's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just _stop,"_ he pleaded.

Baines humored him. "Say please," he said in a delighted tone.

"Please," he complied. Rose studied him carefully. Something was off about him. He was being _too_ clumsy—far more than John actually was.

Jenny hit a switch, stopping the bombs and firing. Her head jerked up as she inhaled deeply. "Wait a minute…still human."

Wait, what? He couldn't be…could he?

"Now I can't-I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know that I'm innocent in all this," John said. "He _made_ me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it—" he stumbled again and hit another panel of buttons.

"He didn't just make himself human, he made himself an _idiot,"_ Jenny mocked.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Baines retorted.

John inhaled a shaky breath. "I don't care about this Doctor and your Family. I just want you to leave Rose alone and just go. So, I've made my choice," he raised his hand and held out the watch. "You can have him. Just take it, please! Take him away!"

"NO!" Rose cried in horror. This couldn't be happening. She stood up from the ground and stood beside him, facing the Family. "Take me instead."

John turned to her. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my Doctor," she answered firmly. If this was the case, she'd rather her be the one to be consumed than the Doctor. Of course…she wasn't keen on dying.

"How sweet," Jenny teased. "Two lovers willing to protect each other. So thick."

"No, please," John insisted. "The Doctor's life is worth more. His life is filled with so much grief and pain, it's hardly one worth living. And I know he would do any and everything in his power to keep this pink and yellow human over here safe. So, just take him away!"

He glanced over at Rose for a split second, and that's all it took for her stomach to swoop. That familiar glint in his eyes made all of her worries vanish. It was _him._ He was back. She knew something was off. Only she could easily point out his believable charades. She inwardly smiled at his return while at the same time shook inside. Still, she went along with his facade.

Baines approached him and took the watch from his hand. "At last." As he gazed at the watch with wonder, he grabbed the Doctor by the lapels with his other hand. "Don't think that saved your lives."

He shoved him away, causing him to bump into Rose, but he exaggerated the force as he threw himself against the wall hitting more buttons. Rose inwardly rolled her eyes and bit back on a laugh. Always the dramatic one.

"We will kill the Wolf and her lover once we gain eternal life," Jenny remarked with delight.

Rose turned to face the Doctor, who was crouching down after that over that overly dramatic tumble. He threw a quick wink at her, and she resisted the urge to smile at him as they were still pretty much in danger. But she was glad to have him back.

"Family of Mine," Baines said to the Family. "Now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord!"

He opened the watch, causing them all to inhale his essence…

"It's empty!" Baines shouted angrily, turning back to the Doctor.

He frowned. "Well, where's it gone?"

"You tell me!"

Baines tossed the watch back to him, which the Doctor caught with one hand and straightened himself up then began to speak in his usual explanatory voice.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection. Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said—" he reached in his pocket and pulled out the trusty specs and inspected the gauges. "I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilizers—" he tapped it with the back of his finger, "—feeding back into the primary heat converter. Oh!" He hissed. "'Cause if there's one thing you shouldn't have done…you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons." He grabbed Rose's hand. "But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice: Run!" With a manic grin, he tugged Rose along and out of the ship.

From behind, they heard Baines repeatedly shout, "Get out!"

Running across the fields, the Doctor pulled Rose ahead of him as the ship behind them exploded. He pulled her down as they dove to the ground from the blast, but luckily there was a safe amount of distance between them and the explosion. Slowly standing he helped Rose up to her feet. Turning around, they saw the Family laying on the ground unconscious.

After a beat the Doctor startled Rose when he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around, pulling her close as he crashed his lips to hers to kiss her fiercely all in one swift motion. Though shocked by the sudden gesture, it didn't stop her from responding with equal intensity as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She's missed this, and judging by how tight he was holding her, so did he. They still have things to work out, but right now she was going to relish the moment.

All too soon it had ended when he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "Rose…I…" he breathed out.

Though it was dark, she could see the apologizing look in his eyes, and she took it. "I know," she whispered.

Inhaling a shaky breath, he closed his eyes. "Head back to the TARDIS," he husked.

"Doctor—"

"Please, Rose, just go."

"What're gonna do with them?"

"Give them what they deserve," he ground out.

With that he walked back over to them. She didn't have to see his face, for she knew the Oncoming Storm was coming out of its cage. For once she was wrong—the Doctor might _not_ show the Family any mercy for what they had done after all.

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**Response to _Random Fangirl:_ It's okay, I update fairly quickly. Please don't be sad *hugs* ;)**

**Response to _Candy thy Cutie:_ asdfghjkl :3**


	38. Family of Blood Part 4

**A/N: Last part of this Family mess. ****Thank you, thank you, thank you lovely viewers! You're all loved ;D *hugs***

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_**Chapter 38: Family of Blood Part 4**_

Rose made her way back to the TARDIS by the hut. The area was so dark and solemn, which was understandable with the battle that had just happened. If this had gone any further this very well have been the start of World War Four, and in the era they were in, the _first_ one hadn't started yet. But it would in the next year. All of those young boys would be going to war and they didn't even know the suffering that would follow. It always pained her with historical events, but after traveling with the Doctor for two and a half years, she knows better. She couldn't warn any of them about the impending threat.

She was still stunned at the sudden intense snog the Doctor had given her after the Family's ship exploded. Even with all the chaos happening around them, not to mention their personal issues between them, he brought himself to do something they hadn't done in months. She had missed those passionate moments. Of course she wasn't counting the couple of sweet kisses John gave her…though, he was _like_ the Doctor. No, she wasn't about to make her head hurt again with the conflicting dilemma they've been in for these months in hiding. Now was time to move forward and away from this. But where would they go from here?

After a few more moments, the beautiful, magnificent ship that was the TARDIS was up ahead and she could already feel Her welcoming hums. Placing her hand to the wooden door, she smiled and stroked the frame.

"Welcome back, Old Girl," she said before stepping inside.

"There you are!" Martha cried as she ran down the ramp to give her a tight hug. "God, you must love putting yourself in danger."

Rose chuckled. "Not really, but it seems to be the norm."

"So…how was it?" Martha asked when she pulled back.

"Oh, you know—captured by vampire-like aliens, fought with them a bit—"

"No, Rose, I meant how did everything go with…John?"

She swallowed hard as the upsetting scenes came back to her. "Well…for the most part. The Doctor's back, so it went according to plan."

"Where's he now?"

"Taking care of the Family," she answered. "Dunno what he'll do with 'em, but…he said he's giving them what they deserve, so who knows what he's planning." She paused for a second. "He kissed me for the first time since…"

Martha's eyes lit up a little. "That's good. It's a start, yeah?"

"I guess, but…it may have been a spur of the moment thing."

"Oh, come on, now. With him? Okay, maybe he was relieved that you hadn't gotten yourself killed, but if you're missing him, then the feeling's mutual." Martha gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her arms. "Hey, I know it was hard for you to do what you had to do with John, but the Doctor's back now. We can finally get out of here," she said lightly. "Back to our regular lives."

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

Judging by the uncertainty on her face, Martha could easily tell that Rose was still a little uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that she talked a man into dying just so the Doctor could be restored back into his Time Lord self. Or…maybe she was still deciding on how she and him could patch things up between them.

"Hey," Martha said softly. "It'll get better. Just talk to him after this. I'm sure he's feeling the same way."

Rose sighed. "Who knows," she said quietly before adding, "He said he wanted to marry me."

Martha's eyes widened. "What? Who?" She knew the Doctor mentioned something about bonding, but…did he finally tell Rose?

"John," she replied.

"He really told you that?"

Rose nodded, biting her thumbnail. That honestly wasn't surprising to Martha. If John was anything like the the Doctor, then he was the core of his consciousness. When the Doctor implied that he wanted to bond with Rose, she wasn't as shocked by that. What _did_ shock her was that he had yet to do so. He couldn't possibly be reconsidering that, could he? And she couldn't be belittling herself with everything could she?

Martha's job as a mediator wasn't ending just yet.

"I strung him along," Rose said. "All that time, and I…" she trailed off and shook her head.

Taking her hand, Mart told her softly. "The Doctor knows how much you love him. He knows you'll do everything you can to make him better—"

"I know, Martha," Rose said with a sigh. She paused for a moment before saying, "'M gonna take a shower and change," she said gesturing at her dress. "These old fashioned outfits are too formal for me."

Martha snorted. "Tell me about it."

As Rose headed down the corridor, a hum filled Martha's ears. It sounded somewhat…sad and impatient, if there ever was a sound for that. Raising a hand, she patted one of the coral struts. "This funk of theirs needs to end, Old Girl, wouldn't you say?"

She hummed in agreement. "I know she's been through a lot in these last couple of months, but she needs to talk with him." Another hum. "What can we do?" The TARDIS answered with a warning hum. The Doctor was coming back, and judging by the sound, he must have been furious. Rose had said he was handling the Family, but it must have been serious.

Martha went off into the corridor and went to her room. Whatever happened between John and Rose was definitely effecting her, but how was it effecting the Doctor? All she knew was that once they finally left this place she was going to make those two settle their differences, whether they were hesitant to or not.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Sitting on her bed, Rose held her head in her hands. As much as she was ecstatic that the Doctor was back, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Not because of what she had to do in order for him to be restored, but at what he told her when he was human. The idea of him admitting that he wanted to marry her—after only knowing her for two months—was a bit of a shock to her. Granted, John did display gestures of tenderness that the Doctor would and made her feel like he hadn't changed, but bringing up marriage like that was just…somewhat unexpected.

She honestly didn't know how she should be feeling. The whole entire time they spent in hiding she felt as if she was taking advantage of him. They've been distant and it ached. She's been longing to be with him again, to feel his soft, gentle caresses, to kiss him lovingly whenever she wanted, to hold him in her arms. John was very much like the Doctor, but at the same time was very different. Those extreme thoughts could have been either John's or the Doctor's. But…if John was a part of the Doctor…did that mean that he actually felt like _that?_

It was a thought she had considered so many times, most of them entertaining the idea whenever they pretended to be a married couple while investigating. But that was an even bigger commitment than what she and the Doctor had right now. Was that a step he was willing to take? Their fallout replayed in her mind again. No matter what he thought, he still had his doubts that she'd leave him. What more would it take for him to finally believe that she was never leaving?

Rose stood from her bed and walked over to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit. All she wanted at the moment was to get out of this vintage dress and take a nice shower. The TARDIS hummed in her mind, sounding sympathetic, and causing her to smile.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Two months of hiding. Two months of detachment and isolation from their normal lives. And what came out of it? Anger, pain, suffering, and utter destruction. That was pretty much the expectant, wasn't it? Every single time someone or something encounters him, that's _always_ the guaranteed end result.

Once the Family awoke, the Doctor huddled them together as he wrapped ropes around their bodies to prevent them from any attempts of escape, then pulled them along to walk across fields to get to the TARDIS. As much as he hated how merciless he was being at the moment, he just couldn't bring himself to forgive these creatures for what they had done - not only to the innocent lives all around, but they could've killed _Rose. _Could've taken away her essence and her _life._ The very thought only caused his blood to boil impossibly more.

He kept kicking himself because the olfactory bracelet proved to be useless in masking her scent. He might as well have taped a sign on her back saying, '_Hello, I'm Rose Tyler, and I'm the Bad Wolf. Please come and suck the life out of me'_. How the hell could he have been so _thick!? _No, he knew the reason why. He refused to let her use the Chameleon Arch, all because he didn't want her to suffer through that pain. And look at what had happened because of his defiance: she wound up in even _more_ danger after he promised her she'd be safe. It was the price they had to pay because of his fears and selfishness.

The TARDIS warned him three times—_three bloody times_—that Rose could still be detected, and he ignored Her. He basically threw her out there in the world exposed. What he thought was the safer and more reasonable alternative to keeping herself hidden only turned out to be even worse. If only he allowed her access to the Arch and changed her form this whole thing could have been avoided, though the result was unknown now. The one thing that _wasn't_ unknown to him was her feelings for John Smith. She wound up loving him, which wasn't surprising to him since that character was basically _him,_ only…so much more. But save the similarities, they were entirely different. John could have given her the things that he himself could not—though not really as Rose wasn't _fully _human anymore.

He took that away from her, too, and it pained him. No matter how much she fell for John, she could never have that life—all because of _him._ Even his human form knew that all too well, knew how much hurt she's dealt with. She could have had a better life without any pain and misery, but alas, that would never happen.

Finally reaching the TARDIS, he threw the doors open and tugged the Family inside. The girls weren't in the console room, which was good because he really didn't want them to see him as he was right now.

"What are you gonna do to us?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. Instead, he led them down the corridor. Through his mental link with his ship, he asked Her to bring up a room for them to remain locked inside while he took them to their destination. She complied as a door appeared at the end.

Kicking it open, he stepped out of the way and pointed to the entrance. "In," he ordered.

Baines shook his head. "What, you're gonna keep us like _pets_—_"_

"I said go _in!"_ He shouted, causing what used to be a young man to flinch.

This time they obeyed as they entered the room, their steps slow as they struggled with their ropes bounding them. Slamming the door shut, the Doctor made his way down the corridor to his room. He stopped for a second and placed his hand over the Gallifreyan scripture carved into the door: his name. The pink rose that used to intertwine with it had disappeared. For weeks it's been like this—now _months._ How he wished it would come back. That intense snog after the big explosion was just out of instinct and overall desperation, but he missed her. He wanted—no, _needed_ to say so much to Rose, but there was a reason why he couldn't bring himself to talk to her just yet.

What if, during the duration of their isolation, she finally came to realize exactly everything she lost because of him and hated him for it? She stressed to John that it was the life she chose, and that she was the happiest she's ever been. Was she really? And even if she was, then if the subject of bonding were to come up, he'd be setting her up with over nine hundred years of guilt, misery, and whatever else at ate his insides. If that was the case, he really didn't wish to face that hard reality, even if it would eventually come one day. But…he remembered the words she had said to John.

_It may have cost me my family, my friends, and anyone else who was close to me…but I could never bring myself to resent him for any of that_—_even if he blames himself for it._

Not only that, when he made it to the Family's ship he overheard her words before he stumbled in with his clumsy act. Through all the hurt he's given her, she still thought he was the most wonderful man in the world. But was he really a good man? The moment she saw his deepest and darkest secrets lodged inside of him, she'd probably rethink that statement.

Shaking his head, he entered his room. A welcoming hum from the TARDIS came to his attention, and it was beautiful to his ears. Then came another that sounded a little judgemental. He groaned. Once again, She was scolding him.

_"Please don't remind me of my mistakes,"_ he said through their link.

Shockingly, She didn't retort, but She did send a warm hum to settle him down. After changing into his brown pinstriped suit, he headed back out to the console room. The sooner he got rid of these parasites, the better. When he got there, he froze for a moment when he found both Rose and Martha seated on the jump seat back in their modern clothes.

They both turned to face him as he went up to the console. "What are you gonna do with to them?" Martha asked.

"Giving them what they deserve," he answered evenly.

"Which is?"

Truthfully, he was always one to give others chances, but after they almost killed Rose when it was specifically him they were after, any merciful offer was chucked away. Swallowing hard, his words came out shaky. "I'm just going to let them die."

"Doctor—" Rose began.

"Rose, please," he cut in gently as he rounded the console and pulled the lever. "I know what I'm doing. This is the price they paid for the misery they've thrown at us and all of those people. It's the appropriate—"

"No, I know it is," she told him. "I was just gonna say…it's deserving since they're dying anyway. Like mayflies, yeah?"

Though he had his back to them, the Doctor raised his brows at her response. Rose was always one to see the good in people and various creatures alike, but she wasn't giving those parasites any sympathy. She would always stop him if something seemed too cruel, but she agreed with his decision.

The softness in her voice tugged at his hearts. She was content in the months they spent in hiding, as was he. But…he could never want to be a human—not that he meant any offense by that, but he wasn't _himself. _Although, he had to admit there was less pain when he was John. Everything was less…complicated. Despite that, that just wasn't something he found himself doing. Like he said, it wasn't something he'd do long term.

The feel of a hand lightly resting on his back caused him to shiver. He didn't have to glance over to know whose it was. He'd recognize that touch anytime. Even when they were in a point in their relationship where distance was necessary—though at the same time seemed superfluous, she still was there for him. It still astounded him how he would deserve someone as patient as her. He glanced over at her for a moment and nodded.

The TARDIS finally landed at its destination smoothly. Stepping away from the console, the Doctor made his way back into the corridor. He came to the locked room where the Family was and thrust the door open.

"Out," he ordered, gesturing his hand out behind him.

Baines looked like he was about to protest again, but he restrained himself. The Doctor glared at them as they passed by him and made their way back into the console room. He went down the ramp and pushed the door open. He studied them as they looked around their surroundings—back to Apadanzo, the deserted place that was once their home.

"You brought us back _here?"_ Jenny asked incredulously.

"Back where it all started," he answered evenly.

"Why?"

"You should already know," the Doctor responded coldly.

"Are you…" Mr. Clarke began. "You're just leaving us to _die?"_

"Yes."

Baines snorted. "You never would," he said smugly. "You're too merciful."

The Doctor stepped up to the boy, looking down on him. "You have _no_idea of what I'm capable of," he said in a hard yet calm voice. He turned to Mr. Clarke. "I could have wrapped you in unbreakable chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star," he turned to Jenny. "I could have trapped you into the horizon of a collapsing galaxy as imprisonment." He lowered his head to little Lucy. "I could have trapped you inside a mirror—_every _mirror. If someone were to look at their reflection and see something move behind them just for a second, it'd be _you._ Trapped there with no escape." Finally he came back to Baines. "And as for you…I could have suspended you in Time, forced to watch over the fields of the very land you tried to destroy as their protector. _Forever._

"I could have been kind," he continued. "I _was_ being kind when I hid away so I could bring you no trouble. There were so many punishments, so many things that I could have done to you instead. I could have given you forever in a different alternative out of mercy's sake. But you foiled your chance. Quite frankly, what I'm giving you now honestly doesn't do justice to what I believe you _should_ deserve. But out of the courtesy of the one person who believes in me more than anything, who also believes you should be granted this when she is without a doubt more kind than _I_, this is all you get from me. The only mercy I give you is your death. For all of the misery you've given those innocent lives, including the ones you've embodied, for myself, and especially for the one person that means more to me than anything else in the universe. And if she believes that what I'm doing is right…well, then I've done what's best, as she's _all_ I believe in."

With that, the Doctor turned his back on them and didn't look back as he entered the TARDIS, shutting the doors behind him. The girls were quiet as they stood at the console awaiting his next move.

"Right," he breathed out. "Back to 1913. We've got some check ups to make."

The TARDIS materialized on a hill not too far from the cottage where Joan and Alton were. Martha informed them that Timothy had run back at the school to make sure the other students were alright. She chose to stay behind while the Doctor and Rose decided to see how the adults were taking everything.

"I should talk to them," the Doctor said, taking a deep breath. "Pretty sure they're waiting to see the mad man in person."

"I can talk to Joan," Rose suggested. "You can take Alton. A little easier?"

The Doctor nodded. "Suppose so. Be easy with her. Culture shock and all that."

Rose stepped inside the cottage to find the matron standing by a window with her back to the door and the teacher sitting at the table. "Um, is it okay if I speak to Joan in private?"

Mr. Stewart stood from his seat and went over to her. "Is the Doctor out there?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I've been looking forward to talking with him," he said. "A man that sounds that interesting in stories has got to be a wonder in person."

Rose chuckled. "Oh, he is."

When he left the women alone, Joan asked while still facing the window, "Is it done?"

"Yeah. He took care of it," Rose replied.

Joan nodded. "The police and the army are at the school. The parents have come to take the boys home. I should go, they'll have so many questions. I'm not sure what to say."

"I'm afraid I don't have any answers for that. It comes with our life."

The matron turned around from the window and examined Rose's modern clothes. "Oh, look at what you're wearing."

Rose chuckled. "Not a fan of formal clothing, remember?"

"You look so…fitted," Joan said before shaking her head. "Forgive me, that was rude. Where's Jo—" she caught herself. "You said the Doctor, so that's what I must call him. Where is he though? I mean, John Smith?"

"Somewhere inside the Doctor, I suppose," Rose answered. It had to be true for the majority of similarities they shared.

"Like a story," the matron said. "Could he change back?"

"Yeah, he could."

"Do you think he will?"

"No," Rose assured quickly.

He himself said it was something he wouldn't do long term, and knowing him, he'd probably never want to go through that again. But…what if he did? No, he would never want to lose what defined him as a Time Lord to make himself a human.

Joan studied her. "I see. Though I must say that John was braver than the Doctor in the end, that ordinary man—the Doctor chose to change, John chose to die," she said sadly.

"No, Joan, you don't know what kind of man the Doctor is," Rose said firmly. "John was brave to go through with it, but the bigger picture is that the Doctor has the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. The universe needs him, just like I need him. All of those stories you read? They're _real._ And in each of them, the universe was in danger. But he did what he does best—he _saved_ it."

"You both travel across the stars forever, young Timothy said."

Rose nodded. "Yeah, we do. We've promised to be together forever."

"But John said that he hurt you—"

"It's complicated," she waved off. "No matter what setbacks or grief we go through, we still care deeply about each other."

"And…you are this Bad Wolf character," Joan drew out slowly. "What does that mean?"

"Again, that's complicated."

Joan shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand this life you lead."

Studying the woman, Rose felt sorry for her. Annoying as she was in the beginning, she couldn't help but sympathize. "Then come with us," she suggested softly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Just for one trip, just to see what it's like."

Joan shook her head slightly. "And what would I be to both of you?"

Rose furrowed her brows. "Our companion."

"That's not fair," Joan said.

"I'm just offering—"

"And in the whole time you've been here, you knew how this would end, and yet you strung that poor man along with it."

"Okay, I was being kind to offer you a chance to see how much more there is in the world," Rose said with a firm voice. "I was doing just what the Doctor would because I felt it was the least we could do. You don't know anything about me and him, and everything we've been through."

"Then answer me this. Just one question," Joan said, stepping closer to her. "If the Doctor had never visited us, if he'd never chosen this place on a whim, would anybody here have died?"

Rose remained quiet for a moment. That was true, she had to admit, but that wasn't his fault that vampires were chasing him…and then her.

"Not like this they wouldn't," she answered. "They shouldn't have happened at all, but the entire universe was at stake, and he had to stop them from conquering it. I know it's hard to understand, but so many across the world could've been taken away. It could've been worse."

Joan opened her mouth to speak but shut it almost instantly. "Well…all I can say is that you two must mean the world to each other going by the descriptions we've been told."

Rose nodded. "Thanks. Good luck with all of this."

"And you for living quite a life with such an extraordinary man."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Ah, Alton Stewart," the Doctor greeted the history teacher once he came out.

The man smirked. "Well, I must say that it is a pleasure to meet you, sir. So, is everything…taken care of?"

"All handled," he assured.

"Good. Though with the police and the army making their rounds, we won't have a believable explanation for what's happened here."

The Doctor nodded his head and pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry. You'll have to come up with something."

"Well, that should be no trouble," Mr. Stewart said with a chuckle. "What's it feel like?"

"Sorry?"

"How did it feel like to be human?"

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Less…painful. Less…complicating, if I'm honest."

"Given your way of life, I'm not surprised. But…everything from that journal…that's your actual life?"

"As real as ever," the Doctor said. "All of those creatures, and planets, and places—they're all real. So many adventures waiting somewhere across all of those galaxies."

"Does it ever bore you?" The man asked.

"What d'you think?"

Mr. Stewart laughed. "I assumed not. But with all of that out there, of all of the impossible things in existence…there's only one thing that amazes you more than anything."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at him. "And what's that?"

Mr. Stewart crossed his arms. "I think you know." He nodded at the cottage. "That young woman in there has been through a lot with you, has done things that even you never knew could be possible. No matter how much hurt and grief you give her, she will always be there by your side to help you through the tides of life. _Your_ life. She crawls inside of you and leaves behind a light to chase the darkness that eats at you away."

Oh, how right he was.

The Doctor blinked. "You really _read_ the journal, then."

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "I took a peek or two." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the journal. "I suppose you'll be needing this back."

"No, please, keep it," the Doctor insisted, pushing it back. "Tell them to others. Nothing like a good fairytale every now and then."

"Or what _should_ be fairytales," the man corrected before putting away the journal.

"You seem to accept things rather quickly, Mr. Stewart."

"Well, when you're raised by a mother who happens to be a literature teacher, you're bound to have an imagination."

The cottage door creaked open, both Rose and Joan stepping out.

"Nurse Refern, how are you?" the Doctor asked.

"I-I'm doing well. Thank you," she looked at both him and Rose. "Thank you both."

"By the stories you've written, I say you two are the most magnificent beings in the universe," Mr. Stewart added, coming to stand beside Joan.

"Who are you two? I mean…what are you really?"

"Oh," The Doctor glanced down at Rose, and smiled faintly. "The stuff of legend."

"I believe it," Mr. Stewart remarked.

After saying their goodbyes, the matron and the teacher went back to the cottage while the Doctor and Rose made their way back to the TARDIS. Out of instinct, he reached for her hand, almost expecting her to recoil at first contact, but she surprised him when she took it. Warmth spread inside of him, feeling like they were back to their normal groove. Of course, right now so much still needed to be said between them, but as he didn't have the courage to do so at the moment, the least he could do was recognize what she always did for him. Light rain began to fall as they passed over a hill, where the Doctor came to a complete stop.

"Rose…" he began.

She looked at him, and his hearts clenched. These past months have taken a toll on her, but it's been like that prior to this whole Family mess. While he wanted to say so much to her, all he could offer her was a simple gesture. Tugging her arm gently, he brought her close for a hug and shuddered inside. He missed this so much.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"Believing in me."

"It's what I do, innit?" she said, patting his back.

"It's not _all_ you do," he responded. When he pulled away, he studied her face as the light raindrops fell over her skin and dampened her hair. Ever so hesitantly he raised a hand to brush back a strand before leaning down to press a light kiss to her forehead. "We should really work on _your _sacrificial methods, too," he said sternly but lightly.

A small smile appeared on her lips, and he warmed up inside. Pretty soon, he hoped they could go back to the way things were. But he was a little hesitant about the upcoming talk and what the outcome would be. Continuing their way back to the TARDIS, a few more moments later the beautiful ship was in their sights and Martha waiting outside.

"Right then, molto bene," the Doctor called out, releasing Rose's hand before burying both of his in his pockets.

"How were they?" Martha asked.

"Fine," Rose answered. "They seemed to take everything well…for the most part. Especially Mr. Stewart."

"Yeah," the Doctor said, turning his head to look at the distant countryside. "Time we moved on." He turned back to face the girls. "Oh, and I never said…" he offered a small smile. "Thanks for looking after me. Both of you."

He went over to the girls and wrapped his arms around both of them. They've been through so much in these months, and they were patient.

"Doctor, Rose, Martha!" An approaching voice got their attention as the Doctor released the girls, turning to see the young lad who played a big part in saving the day.

"Tim-Timothy-Timber!" the Doctor called with a smile.

"I just wanted to say goodbye…and thank you," Tim said. "Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Rose told him.

Tim nodded. "I think we do."

"But you could get hurt," Martha added.

"Well, so could you two travelling around with him," he said, gesturing at the Doctor. "But it's not going to stop you." He turned to Rose. "Especially you, Miss Tyler."

Rose chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough. You're very brave, so if it's what you believe is right, then go ahead."

The Doctor studied the boy for a moment before reaching in his pocket, pulling out the fob watch and holding it out. "Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this."

Tim took the watch and stared at it. "I can't hear anything."

"No, it's just a watch now, but keep it with you. For good luck."

The boy smiled at him before Martha stepped forward and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Look after yourself."

When she pulled back, Rose came forward. "You're a good kid, Tim. Or should I say…a good young _man."_ He smiled at her as she bent down to give him a hug as well. "Take care, Tim. And thanks for everything." She gave him a kiss on the cheek when she pulled away.

"And you, Miss Tyler," the boy said genuinely. "Thanks for being there for me all those times."

"Always," she patted his shoulder.

The Doctor held the TARDIS door open for both women, and grinned proudly at Rose. She always found the good in people, always showed her compassion for others, and it always made him warm inside to know how good of a heart she had.

"Goodbye Timothy Latimer," he said as the girls made their way in. Before he followed, he turned to the boy and grinned. "You'll like this bit."

Closing the door behind him, he ran up to the console and sent them off in the vortex, and enjoyed the wondrous look on Tim's face on the monitor as dematerialized.

"Now where?" The Doctor asked.

"I've got a place," Rose suggested.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Timothy Latimer, now an old man, sat in a wheelchair outside in front of the soldier's memorial service on Remembrance Day, listening sadly as the Vicar read words from a script. The Great War was indeed saddening as its shadow crossed over Britain, all of those cold nights laying in the mud and surrounded by wire as bombs rocked the skies above, rubble raining down on the fallen soldiers. Even now the memory was aching as the imagery still so lifelike like that of a movie reel.

_"'They mingle not with laughing comrades again,_

_they sit no more at familiar tables of home._

_They have no lot in our labor of the daytime,_

__they sleep beyond England's foam.__

_They went with songs to the battle,_

_they were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow._

_They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,_

_they fell with their faces to the foe.'"_

Looking up a small smile grazed his lips when he caught sight of three familiar faces of the wonderful travellers who he had met so long ago, though appeared to not have aged a day. Rose Tyler, who wore a poppy on her top, stood beside the Doctor and pinned one onto his lapel, and Martha Jones was next to him. Reaching into his pocket, Tim pulled out the familiar watch, his good luck token, tracing the circular shapes with his thumb. He raised his eyes to find all three of the travelers smiling softly at him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched them from afar while the Vicar finished the reading.

_"'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,_

_age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn._

_At the going down of the sun and in the morning,_

_we will remember them."_


	39. Drastic Measures

**A/N: Okay, post-Family. Let's see how this goes. ****As always, thank you to the lovely reviewers and followers! You all deserve cookies lol Your feedback brightens my day ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 39: Drastic Measures**_

Martha sat down on the jump seat while the Doctor and Rose made their way around the console, him fiddling with controls while she stood off to the side. Studying them, she felt a little relief to see them standing within a few inches of each other without recoiling, so that was a good sign. Earlier, he had made a move and actually hugged her, and Rose had said that he had kissed her after he saved her life…yet again. So that was also some progress.

She couldn't help but smile a little at them. But it wasn't enough. After two months of bitterness, these two still had so much to talk about. It was never the same without the exuberant couple, the dynamic duo, two of the most wonderful people in the world bouncing around the ship. If she herself was impatient and eager for them to reconcile, then they were obviously tearing themselves apart with this whole distance thing. Before the whole Family situation, she talked privately, and they both missed each other, but couldn't bring themselves to admit it to each other.

Even the TARDIS disliked the situation greatly. It was always Her and Martha having to deal with their distance, and it only made the atmosphere turn into one of solemnity. And right now, she wasn't letting them slip by. Standing from the jump seat, she grabbed a hold of their arms and tugged them along, ignoring their surprised faces.

"Martha," the Doctor said warily. "W-what are you doing?"

She didn't answer as she led them down the corridor and to another room. Kicking the door open, she pulled both of them inside. It was empty with no furniture whatsoever and blank walls with a few coral struts placed in the corners.

"I'm gonna go and make some tea and I expect the two of you to talk like mature, proper _adults," _Martha told them sternly, sounding very much like a mother.

"Martha," Rose began. "We—"

_"No,_ I don't wanna hear it," she said firmly. "You two aren't leaving this room 'til you work things out."

The Doctor looked at her in shock. "This is _my_ ship! We could come and go as we please!"

Martha put her hands on her hips. "Tough. You're staying here and that's final. The TARDIS will make sure either of you make a getaway."

They both didn't make eye contact with her when she left. As she's held the title of the mediator before, mainly when having to deal with her parents, she hoped they could patch things up, because she honestly didn't want to have to resort to such drastic measures with those two, but if it was necessary, she wasn't hesitating.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Truthfully, a nice cup of tea would do Rose some good. For two months she's had to deal with the school's kind, which was just very bland. Of course nothing could compare with the essentials of the TARDIS. But now that she was alone with the Doctor, she was hoping to at least talk a little about…everything.

Biting her lip, she looked up at the Doctor whose hands were buried in his deep pockets and kept his gaze fixed on his shoes. A zapping noise got their attention as the door they had came through suddenly vanished. He whipped around and muttered something indistinct as he went over to the blank space that was now just a wall. Locked in a room with no escape. Never thought they'd have to get into such situations.

"That's different," Rose commented.

The Doctor swallowed hard. He figured this would be coming soon. Even before the whole Family mess, he knew she'd eventually try to approach him. If not her, then he would…if he wasn't so afraid of what exactly she would say to him, that is. So many things on his mind were just itching to come out. There was so much he had to say to her, but choosing exactly what to start with was making things even more difficult.

"I didn't keep you safe," he murmured.

"What?" she asked, walking up to him.

"I assured your safety, and you wound up being in even _more_ danger."

Rose sighed. "Doctor, stop—"

"No, I _can't_ stop beating myself over this, Rose," he said quickly as he whirled around to face her. "How can you disregard the fact that your life was in just as much danger as mine? The whole purpose of that bracelet was to keep you hidden—to mask your scent from those parasites so they wouldn't come after you, and it _didn't."_ He let out a mirthless chuckle. "That's just the luck we've got, isn't it? Everything we assume will be fine ends up ruining it instead."

That was their life. More specifically, that was _his_ life—when things are going good, something gets in the way and makes it worse.

"Why couldn't you have just let me use the Arch?" Rose asked. "I could've changed with you-"

"No, I…" he pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose. "I told you that I'd never forgive myself for putting you through any of that. It's…too much. I thought—no, I was _sure_ that the bracelet would work, I really was. It was a better alternative than to have every single one of your cells rewritten. But…" he shook his head before raising a hand to scratch his neck. "Doesn't matter. They were locked onto my trail so tight they were bound to find me eventually. And even if you were to change, they'd come after you anyways."

Rose studied him. No matter what, he always cared about her safety and tried to do it in the most painless of ways. For that, she'd always have respect for him and love him for it. She came closer to him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Listen," she said softly. "I know you're upset about that, and to be honest I wasn't too thrilled about being found either. But look at it this way, everything came out right in the end, yeah?"

"Did it really?" he asked quietly, uncertain.

"Don't you think so?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. All he wanted was for things to be back to the way they were, with no worries or doubts—just peaceful bliss. Just to feel her in his arms and be lost in her warmth, to kiss her just for the hell of it because they could do it whenever they wanted, to just…be together _properly._

Rose herself was hoping they could get themselves out of this funk they've been in. Two weeks without closeness was enough to make her itchy and impatient, but then two months of isolation from their lives—well, that only seemed to make her need him even more. Desperate as it sounded and felt, she just needed him. Though that whole marriage thing John brought up was still buzzing around in her head, there was another thing that poked at her curiosity.

"What did it feel like? To be human?" she asked. Surely that had to be some kind of overwhelming experience for him.

The Doctor registered her question and answered it in his head. _Painless, odd, a life without worries or the weight of the world pressing down on his head. _"Like a really vivid dream," he said out loud. That was all the truth it was. "Similar to the ones in the journal."

"So…you remember everything then?"

He inhaled a deep breath and released it through his nose and hesitantly nodded. From the first time he saw Rose working as the librarian and saved her from being crushed by a falling bookshelf, which to be honest was expected as she's so unbelievably jeopardy friendly, and to the village hall event where they slowly danced in each other's arms. He remembered it all.

Especially that moment where he blurted out that he had wanted to marry her. Well, _John_ wanted to marry her. But if he was being technical, he's been longing to bond with her himself, which in simple terms _is _essentially the equivalent of marriage. That is, once again, if she was even able to contain one. It was like a craving that was getting harder to steady when he was around her, but he would never force her into it if she never wanted it.

"You were happy," he said quietly.

"What?" Rose asked.

He shook his head and turned to the side to avoid her gaze. He wasn't in the mood to rehash on that, but since they were on the topic, it just came out. "You were the happiest you've been since…our…break," he trailed off before adding with a whisper, "Both of us were."

"Doctor…" How could she respond to that? Truthfully, it _was_ the most at ease she's been since their last spat, but most of the time she's dealt with the struggle of getting to close to John Smith. "Maybe we were, but that wasn't our life, and it wasn't easy for me to adjust to any of that," she told him.

"It seemed like it," he said regretfully. "But then again, none of that would've mattered since you could never have that life anyway."

"I never _wanted_—_"_

"You _could_ have," he cut in. "Had you not met me, you could have had the ideal human life, and for a short while, you were. But it could never be regardless since you're not human anymore. Because of _me."_

"How many times do I have to tell you that I _never_ wanted to live my life like that?"

"Rose, I saw it in your eyes," he said gently. "For a split second, you wished you could've had that life with…_him."_

"You don't know that," she answered firmly.

He tilted his head before lowering it to stare at the ground. "Maybe not…but in time, you might realize exactly what you've lost."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out, backing away and holding a hand over her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to have another row, especially now since she's missed him all this time. "Doctor, why can't you understand…" she shook her head and sighed.

This was ending up like their other conversations about her spending forever with him. He'd brood over something, she'd tell him not to beat himself over it, he'd sulk and say otherwise. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It was like kicking a dead horse. The main thing that was on her mind was most likely one of the main things that was eating away at him, but she was curious to know. She answered it to Joan, but what would he say?

"Would you have stayed?" she asked when she turned back to him.

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath and tried again. "Would you have chosen to stay human, _really?"_

A muscle worked in his jaw. "Rose…" he said quietly.

"Just…answer it," she told him evenly. "You could change back, yeah?"

"Yes," he answered after a moment.

"But _would_ you?"

He raised his head to face her, an eyebrow arched. "Does it matter now?"

Rose shrugged a shoulder. "No, but—"

"Then it's nothing to worry about," he said casually.

_Here we go again,_ she thought in her mind. Of course he'd divert from the topic. It was what he did best—sometimes rather than give her a straight answer, he'd find a way to run away from a conversation.

"Doctor, I know it really doesn't matter now since you've changed back. But I was just wondering 's all." He remained silent. "If you're thinking that I'd rather spend my life with _John_ because he was a human that could supposedly give me everything that you couldn't…then you should know that I stand by my feelings as I always have. Even if I _was_fully human I could never love him the way that I love _you."_ Her heart clenched when she said those words - words she hasn't said directly to him for months. "I've told you time and time again that I chose _you, _Doctor. You as you are."

"But he _was_ me…in a sense," he stressed. "If you weren't…like yourself…then you could've had that life. The one that I couldn't give you."

Stepping closer to him, she placed her hands on his forearms, feeling him stiffen at her touch before easing up after a moment once she pulled them up to retrieve his hands from his pockets. "But that's not the life I wanted. It never was. You really think I'd be able to stay in one place at one time?"

He blinked. "No…but I thought…"

"The man that John was wasn't one hundred percent _you,_ Doctor," she said softly. "He was a _part_ of you. It was like staring into the eyes of a stranger who looked just like the man that I love. While in that time, I tried not to get too attached to him." The Doctor was about to speak, but she held up a hand to stop him. "I knew how the whole thing would end, with him…dying. As much as I tried not to get too close to him, I couldn't help but be drawn to him. Because _that_ was very _you_—the man with the charismatic, magnetic personality…and really great hair." He smirked. "But between him and you, you should know who I'd always choose."

She placed a hand on his chest between his hearts, the lovely double beat thumping underneath her touch. For two months that beautiful rhythm was absent, but to feel it once again made her insides warm up. He looked down and let go of her hand, resting his own over hers.

"In a way, I felt like I was taking advantage of you in that state," she continued in a quiet voice. "I just needed to be around you. But he wasn't _really_ you. It wasn't like when you first regenerated when I knew it was still _you._ You were different but had similarities, but I could never love that man the way I do for you, Doctor."

The Doctor stared at her, his lips twitching as he tried to form a response. "I didn't want you to feel that way," he said. "To feel like you were…betraying me, or yourself… or _us_. Believe me, I didn't want that whole situation to even happen, but I couldn't shake those bloody parasites off of our trail and it was the only way."

"Yeah, I know. And about them…I thought you'd be upset at me."

His brows furrowed. "What about? For throwing yourself at the Family?"

"Well, yeah. But not only that. The fact that I lost the watch," she said in a small voice. "You trusted me to keep it with me, and I wound up losing it. A bunch of people died 'cause we couldn't restore you fast enough," she lowered her head. "It all would have been over sooner than it did."

Nothing hurt the Doctor more than when he had to see that certain look on Rose's face, the one where she blames herself for things that happened. Most of the time, it was _him_ that was the cause of it, which only made him feel worse for doing so to her, but lots of the time none of it was by her fault.

"Hey," he said softly, raising a hand to cradle her cheek. _"None_ of that was your fault, Rose. It was just an unfortunate circumstance. Accidents happen."

"But—"

"No," he cut in. "As much as I was hoping to avoid any of that mayhem from even happening, I should have known better when they were chasing me at such a fast rate for them to try and locate us. I was being kind and tried to deal with them in the most merciful of ways, but what they brought upon themselves was by their doing. It didn't matter whether you lost the watch or not 'cause they were just ruthless parasites who would have taken lives regardless if I opened it sooner or later." He lightly brushed his thumb over her cheekbone as he continued. "I've told you so many times to never belittle yourself into thinking you're unhelpful or worthless, because you're _not,_ Rose. You stood up for me, those boys, and most of all yourself, and I'll always admire your consideration for others."

"But I let you go out there in the battle," Rose reminded. "I let you hold a gun, Doctor. You're so adamant about not wielding one, and I…I let you go out there. I mean, _John."_

"But if I remember correctly—which I do, for the most part—he didn't fire," he said softly. "When you tried to stop him, he considered your words, and deep down he knew how much he hated weapons. He may have held the gun, but he didn't fire…because he _couldn't. _You helped him see that. You did what you do best; you stopped him…you stopped _me."_

Even through all the bitterness still between them, she managed to be herself and stop him from doing something he'd never forgive himself for doing. Speaking of which…

"You really meant what you said back there, on the ship?" he asked.

"Which part?"

"Well…everything," he answered. "Also about me and…Canary Wharf. About…losing them."

"You mean how I'll never blame you for everything that happened and caused me to lose everyone that was close to me and that you're the most wonderful man in the universe no matter how much you don't believe it yourself?" He swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course I meant it, Doctor. Despite the things that you do or say, even if you beat yourself over it, you're still a good man. And about Canary Wharf, I've told you that countless times that it was never your fault. It was bloody Torchwood. Do you remember what my mum said when we saw her last?"

"That she'll tear apart two universes just to slap me across the face if I didn't keep you safe," he answered.

Rose smiled widely for the very first time since before their fallout, and he couldn't help but mirror it on his own face. "Not that. She was supportive of us and accepted our relationship 'cause she knew how happy were are together. And despite all of the pain we had to go through, she wanted us to remain that way. Then I told her to be happy too."

"But she'll never see you again," the Doctor said, lowering his gaze.

Rose moved her hand off of his chest to rest on his cheek. "I know that, but I'll know she's safe where she is. She's got Pete, and Mickey, and…the baby. They're all alive, and that's what matters the most. They've got each other just like we've got us."

The Doctor blinked once. That was true. Though Rose may never see them ever again, they were still safe and sound in that parallel world. It was one of the reasons why he sent Rose there, to be out of harm's way. But while there was still a small notion in his head saying she probably was better off in that world, he ignored it as he was grateful she was still here with him. Until the day should come when she saw his deepest secrets and could possibly be scarred for life…

No. Now was not the time to dwell on any of that. That itch in the back of his head, which was growing to be a slight pain if he was honest, would always be there, but right now they were patching up some of the issues between them.

"I understand mostly _everything_ in the universe, just about any kind of subject known to creation," the Doctor stated before finishing with a softer tone. "And yet the one thing that I'll _never_ be able to comprehend is exactly how you manage to do…what you do to me. How can you even stand me, Rose?"

"Someone has to," she said with a teasing grin.

He chuckled softly. It always baffled him that no matter how much he shamefully hurt her, she never blamed him for any of it. Modest as she is, he himself couldn't believe that. But then again, she always enjoyed proving him wrong.

"We're really desperate to make up, aren't we?" She said lightly.

The Doctor tugged at his earlobe. "Well…I reckon we're getting there." He let out a sigh. "Rassilon, I'm rubbish at these things. I don't do…relationships well," he said sheepishly.

Rose let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, and you were doing so well."

"What?"

"You daft, old alien," she said with a smile. "I know how hard all of this is for you, but it works _both_ ways. I'm along on this ride too."

"I know, but…" he shook his head. "You deserve so much _more."_

"So do _you,"_ she said sincerely.

Relationships were always never really anything he could handle well. Even so long ago, he was struggling with coupling back at home especially with his wife. That marriage was arranged for the purpose of passing down genetics in the looming process to create the future for Gallifrey, and anything lesser than perfect proved to be a liability. He never wanted to live like that. It always seemed wrong to have a relationship with someone that was only joined with you for political and genetic manipulation.

But the problem was he never knew for certain how to have a _proper_ one. And with him having one with Rose, a _human_—a genetically advanced one that is—made him even more anxious. But despite that, one thing was certain.

"No," he breathed out.

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

"To answer your question from earlier…no. I wouldn't change back," he took a deep breath. "Not if it meant that everything you are and all of the things we did were all just _dreams_ in a _journal."_

A small smile appeared on her lips. "Same here," she said.

She studied him for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck. He inwardly sighed as he returned the hug, feeling a small sense of peace after everything that's happened between them. But there was still so much he had to talk to her about—mainly the itch in the back of his mind telling him to bond with her.

"You never told me you had artistic abilities," she mentioned.

He hummed. "Do you expect me to spoil all of the surprises for you?"

"You know I hate guessing an' stuff," she said. "Have you always been able to draw, or is it just with this body?"

"Weeeell, not _always._ Some of my past incarnations had the skills, and the rest…well, let's just say I lost the ability."

Rose chuckled and he smiled. How he loved that sound. "Wait, what about the journal?" she asked. "Where's it gone?"

"Oh, I just let Alton keep it," he said dismissively. "No need for it now. He's a lover of literature, so he could just tell them as stories."

"So you left behind all of those sketches?"

"Not every one," he said quietly. Pulling himself out of her arms he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper from the journal. "There was one specific page I kept."

He handed it over to her, which she took before gingerly opening it. Rose gasped softly at the sketch he had taken: it was a portrait of her in front of the fireplace in their guest room at Noel. Her eyes were shining bright, reflecting off of the firelight with a sweet smile on her face. He even drew the silly elf jumper she wore along with the magical mistletoe. It was…beautiful.

"Every one of our adventures could be told as fairytales as pleased," he said softly, tapping a finger on the paper. "But I wanted this one to remain between _us."_

Rose didn't know what to say. Of all of the great places they've been that John wrote down in the journal, he took the most private and loving one. "Doctor…"

"I know, I know," he said quickly, tugging at his earlobe. "Maybe it should have stayed in the journal 'cause it was one of the more special adventures, and people would certainly be amused to hear a story about a Christmas planet instead of the North Pole, or—"

"Doctor," Rose cut in, prompting him to stop talking. "'S beautiful."

That was a bit of relief. "So…are we…?" he trailed off.

"Good?" she supplied.

His hands made their way into his pockets. "Yeah."

Rose folded the sketch and put it in her back pocket. There were still things they had to work out, but for right now they could chuck away their break. She nodded once then looped her arms back around his neck, her head resting between his hearts. He ducked his head down and nuzzled her hair before placing a kiss to her temple.

"I couldn't wait 'til it was all over," she told him. "I hated having to hide away from our normal lives and have to be surrounded by…snobs."

He couldn't help but laugh at that. Rose always had a distaste for being around those judgemental higher class types that always looked down on those below them as if they were nothing.

"Well, thank the TARDIS for that," he joked. "She chose the place."

Rose snorted when the Old Girl hummed defensively, causing both of them to laugh lightly. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"Quite right, too," he answered quietly.

The Doctor pulled back and placed two fingers under her chin to bring her back up to face him. "Rose…I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Sorry about hurting you and making you feel unimportant, because you're _not."_ He lowered his eyes for a moment. "I can't guarantee that it'll be better all the way…" he sighed. "I'm rubbish at this…you're everything to me. You're don't deserve any of that, much like I don't deserve you. You're so…so many things—you're the best part of me, and I don't say it enough like I should. But…I _do_ love you, Rose. It doesn't do justice to how I really feel, but I _do."_

Rose smiled warmly before lifting her hands to ruffle his beautiful hair. "Quite right, too."

Studying her for a moment he bent down to give her a gentle kiss. While John may have stolen a few kisses of his own, nothing felt more right than as they were now. For over two months, he's longed to be able to kiss her again, to hold her in his arms, and now he finally felt the tranquility he's missed. He sighed as he splayed his own across her back and pulled her closer. It started out slow, but then it deepened into the passion they haven't shown each other since their isolation. The second she raked her nails down his scalp, he let out a small growl as he raised a hand to cradle her jaw, angling her just right as he poured out his apology into her.

Well, he never imagined _this_ happening. Or…perhaps he did, but definitely not so _soon._ Especially after everything that's occurred in the last two months. Judging by this intensity, it's all been building up since their little break from each other, which was expected since they've rarely had too much distance between them, even more since their trip to Noel.

The whole John Smith situation kept buzzing in his mind, more specifically the admittance to a marriage proposal to Rose. He remembered her stupefied expression, and all he could think about right now was exactly how she'd react when he was finally to tell her about the bonding. Would she be shocked that he did it at all, or would it be too much for her? The only way was to try…but he didn't want to bring it up now—even though he could already feel the ache in the back of his mind starting to grow along with the craving as they continued this.

Finding some bit of control the Doctor broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Rose's, his eyes searching hers while his head throbbed. He knew that she gave off an effect on him, but something in him snapped. Oh, this ache was going to break him.

She laughed breathlessly before clearing her throat. "We got carried away, didn't we?"

"Maybe a bit," he husked.

Before either of them could say anything else, they heard a chuckle behind them. Whirling around, they saw Martha standing in the doorway that suddenly reappeared with a smile on her face.

The Doctor groaned while Rose blushed. "I thought you were making tea," she said.

Martha shrugged. "I did," she answered casually.

"H-How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see that you two are working things out well."

"Yeah…" the Doctor said, glancing back over to Rose. "We're getting there."

"Good. 'Cause this place has been upsetting without you two bouncing around together."

"Ya know, Doctor," Rose said. "Don't you think Martha deserves some…pampering? I mean…she dealt with a lot too."

"I suppose it's fair enough," he agreed. "There's plenty of resort planets that offer special treatments—"

"Oh, I think she needs something more than that for what she had to deal with," Rose said with a sly grin.

The Doctor arched a brow. "Ehm…"

Martha snorted. "Having to be your maid for two months should entitle me for some repaying."

"What?"

Rose giggled. "I think a maid outfit would look good on you, Doctor," she teased.

His brows shot up to his hairline while his voice came out in an unmanly squeak. _"What!?"_ He groaned again. "Oh, Roooose…"

Both girls snickered. "Okay, I'll let you forgo the uniform," Martha said. "But you have to serve me for about a week."

"A _week?"_

"Oh, yeah. I scrubbed floors, folded your clothes, brought you food—which, by the way, included pears."

At the very mention of that forbidden fruit the Doctor's eyes widened in horror, causing Rose to double over in a laughing fit. _"WHAT!?"_

"Don't have a hearts attack," she managed to get out. "Lucky for you, you didn't eat any of them."

"Ohhh, we couldn't have that," he said, letting out a breath of relief. "I wouldn't wanna wake up in three months and have to taste _that,"_ he said, pulling a disgusted face.

"Then you should be thankful she didn't let one slip into your grasp."

The Doctor made another whining sound as his body sagged. He went over to the corner of the room and rested his forehead against a coral strut. "Is this my punishment for…everything?" he complained.

Rose couldn't contain herself as she laughed again. Still, she humored him and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Could be worse, yeah?"

He huffed as he straightened himself up. The TARDIS hummed, and he looked at her accusingly. Even She approved of this. That wasn't surprising. He's always being ganged up by the girls in here.

He watched as both women skipped happily down the corridor. Slowly but surely, everything would go back to the way it was after he was made to deal with the humility of being a servant. Brilliant. Not only that, but the urge to form a bond was increasing the more he pushed it off. How was he going to bring the whole thing up?

Rassilon, help him.


	40. My Body is a Cage

**A/N: Don't you love the feeling you get when you hear a particular song(s) and they can relate to characters so well? ****Parts of this chapter were heavily inspired by two songs: "What If" by Safetysuit and the song of the same name of this chapter, mainly the Peter Gabriel cover which I prefer. **

**A****s always many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! Your feedback is greatly appreciated ;D**

* * *

_**Chapter 40: My Body is a Cage**_

_One week later_

Finally getting some down time, the Doctor lay in his bed. The past week had flown by fairly quickly as the three travellers remained in the TARDIS, drifting in the vortex while they took a much deserved rest—all except the Doctor, who was put to work in being their servant to repay the girls for having to deal with him as a human for two months. Never did he imagine himself—a nine hundred year old _Time Lord_ with all of Time and Space at his fingertips, known as the Oncoming Storm—carrying trays of food and doing other laborious tasks. How scarily…_domestic._

Of course he had absolutely no way of getting out of doing so, as he was outnumbered three to one by the girls, the TARDIS included. How was it that he could easily lose control of his own ship? Though he _was_ grateful to retain _some_ dignity when he was told that he didn't have to wear a bloody _maid outfit. _A hum sounding far too similar to a laugh came in his mind, prompting him to frown at the ceiling. None of the girls would ever make him live this down, much to his humiliation. Luckily this week was coming to an end and they could all be on their merry way and back out to explore.

Things between him and Rose seemed to go back to the way things were after their distance apart…somewhat. On the plus side they've returned to doing simple things like kissing and cuddling, and went back to their old sleeping arrangement where she shared his bed, and now it was once again _their_ room, which he was more than satisfied with since the atmosphere was lacking without her presence. At the very moment he was laying on his side, admiring the pleasant sight of a peaceful sleeping Rose, something he had missed for some time. The carving of the pink rose that intertwined with his name written in Gallifreyan on his door reappeared among other things.

Granted, there were still some things he needed to tell her, more specifically the whole bonding situation. What started out as an itch that could easily be brushed aside without any concern only grew into a hot burn spot in the back of his head that wouldn't fade or be brushed aside no matter how hard he tried. He knew all too well that he needed to initiate the link with her sooner than he originally thought, but he was reluctant to bring up the whole thing, especially now that they've been at peace after more than two nerve racking months of bitterness. All the while his mind was screaming at him to stop being a coward and just tell her about the bond then test it out to see if she was capable of containing one.

Even the TARDIS continued scolding him because of his hesitation and fears. She's known about the itch since it first started after Noel, and was undoubtedly acceptable of it. The Old Girl's always been fond of Rose, so of course She'd be all for it. It wasn't that he didn't want it either, because he _did._ Rassilon knows how _desperately_ he's wanted it—no, more like he's _craved_ it. But, once again, he's tried to be patient with it all when it was just a simple itching feeling. Only now, it was making itself known and pressed hard against his mind like a hot weight.

The sound of a soft snore escaping Rose unphased him causing him to smile. Watching her sleep was always a pleasure, but he's always been curious to know what little fantasies were running around in her head in her state of slumber. The moment they were to bond—or at least _try_ at first to see if it was possible—he'd be able to feel the emotions emitting from her dreams and thoughts, as she would do for him. Just imagining it was enough to make him want to create it even more, but he wouldn't do it now.

He's been patient this whole time in dealing with the wait, but it had to happen soon, it just _had_ to. Frightening as it was, it would also be something beautiful for both of them to share. How huge this would be. But the more he marveled at her beauty in the darkness of the room, the more he could feel his demons chattering away somewhere in one of the corners of his mind. Gazing upon her relaxed features pained him knowing that he had hurt her countless times, and if she were to hold the heavy burdens that weighed down on him then have to live forever with them with _no_ chance of going back…

The Doctor let out a deep breath through his nose as he lifted up his hand to lightly brush away a strand of her hair that had fallen over her face, his fingers ghosting over her temple. He froze for a moment, hearing the beating of his hearts pound in his ears, almost amplifying the burning at the base of his skull. The very place where everything could be unlocked and poured both in and out was right there.

Tempting as it was, he'd never bring himself to initiate something so permanent without her consent, and especially while she was currently in the most vulnerable state. It would be immoral and wrong, and he'd _definitely_ never forgive himself for that. And without a doubt she'd resent him for dumping that weight onto her without her awareness, much less after witnessing every single one of his regrets.

What if what he wanted was the very thing that would ruin her life for good despite her strong will and it being for his own desperate needs? There'd be no way she could repair that damage, no matter how brilliant he was at fixing things. She was right when she had said he was too broken and too much of a coward to deal with his demons himself. While she fired that shot at him during a heated argument over his selfishness and doubts and her stubbornness and persistence, deep down he sensed she didn't mean that…but that didn't mean it wasn't _true._

The TARDIS hummed comfortingly in his mind, and he relaxed. Dropping his hand from Rose's temple he rested it on the small space between them on the bed. He carefully reached for her hand and softly brushed his thumb over her knuckles. A small smile grazed her lips and it warmed his insides. He may still have his fears over what exactly the future held for them, but as long as she was by his side, maybe she could do what she always did—light up his darkness like the shining star that she was.

All he can do for now was wait until she was ready for him, and for the whirlwind awaiting to come over them both if the bonding was possible. At least wait until _he_ was able to give in himself.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

A warm hum from the TARDIS woke up Rose as she let out a yawn and groaned. For once she's finally been able to catch up on her sleep cycle after having to be tormented with painful images of the Doctor in pain when he made the change to become human months ago. Still, at least _some_ rest was received to the point where she felt better. Of course, returning to the Doctor's bed had helped along with that.

Speaking of which, where was he?

Sitting upright, she looked over to his side of the bed to find that his jacket and trainers were gone. No surprise. He's so jittery that Rose wouldn't put it past him to run around the TARDIS with all of that bouncy energy speeding through his body. But she couldn't help but notice how…uneasy he's been. Thankfully he wasn't distancing himself from her again, and that was a relief. He's just been…she honestly didn't know how to describe it, but something was bothering him, she could tell.

When she first went over to ask him if something was wrong he assured he was alright - which was always the answer he gave despite whatever he was feeling inside - but she didn't buy it. Still, she wasn't going to push the issue. Definitely not now after they've reconciled for the most part. She didn't fancy starting up another row, so instead she took his word for once and let him be.

The past week had been peaceful if not enlightening to see the Doctor having to be a servant. It would have been even more enjoyable to see him forced to wear a maid's uniform just for kicks and giggles, but that was more than enough of a debt for him to pay.

_Maybe some other time,_ she thought wickedly.

No doubt Martha enjoyed it while it lasted. After everything that's happened in the last two months she deserved a little relaxation. And after having to sit around and linger in the glum atmosphere following the fallout, some happiness was a definite need for all of them. Now that the week was over, now they could venture out into the stars to a brand new world.

Rose made her way over to the wardrobe and picked out her clothes and got herself dressed. When she finished, she directed her attention to the ceiling. "Where's the Doctor, Old Girl?"

The TARDIS sent an image of him in the galley preparing some kind of meal. Saying her thanks and patting the wall, she made her way out of their room and into the corridor. Once she got there she noticed that Martha had yet to wake up. Striding in she plopped down in one of the stools at the table, getting his attention immediately.

"Ah, you're finally awake," he said, holding a pan in his one hand and some kind of tool in the other.

Rose rubbed her eye with a finger and sighed. "Not that I really felt like waking up just yet."

The Doctor tsked. "Old habits," he commented. "Even with an advanced sleep cycle you're still not a morning person. And you were doing _so _well…"

"Shut up," she told him, making him chuckle. "And you didn't even try to wake me up? That's odd for you, you never waste an opportunity to toss me outta bed."

He tilted his head. "Well, that's true. You bury yourself so deep in your blanket burrow, you could end up lost." He turned back to the stove and flipped the pan a few times, something resembling pancakes turning over in the air. "But I didn't wanna bother you this morning, so I figured I'd get a head start on some repairs and while I'm at it, make us some breakfast."

Rose smiled. "Gettin' used to maid duties, are ya?"

The Doctor turned his head and arched an eyebrow at her. "I was not a _maid,_ Rose," he stressed. "And I don't often say that. I was…a bloke who was forced against his will to serve two lovely ladies as a debt to pay. Which, by the way, ended today. So now we can finally head off."

"Good." He took out plates and set them out on the table before serving the pancakes. Rose inhaled the delicious smell of what seemed to be - no surprise, bananas. "Banana pancakes _again,_ Doctor?"

He pouted for a minute. "What's wrong with them? Don't you like them?"

"No, I do. 'S just…you've made them _three_ days in a row."

"Weeeell," he shrugged. "Gotta use them, don't I? We've got bunches - well, more than just _bunches,_ more like an abundance…oh, that's it! An abundance of bananas! Can't let them go to waste, so why not have them?"

"You said that they wouldn't spoil in the TARDIS," Rose reminded him.

The Doctor scratched his sideburn. "True…but there's nothing wrong with keeping up to check with your potassium."

"Yes, yes, I know. Bananas are good," she said, waving her hand. "Not the first time I've heard that, you know."

He smirked. "And it won't be the last."

"And you still deny that you have a serious addiction to them."

"Now Rose, I've explained that to you before. There's a difference between an _addiction_ and a strong _admiration."_

"I'm aware of that, so please don't go into that spiel again," she joked.

He huffed as he turned back to the stove. She could always tell when he was dwelling on something. Being with him for two and a half years allowed her to be able to read him a little easier, and he couldn't hide his negativity for so long without her pointing it out. Whatever was bothering him won't stay inside of him longer. Perhaps she should gently try to get him to spill later on.

Rose heard approaching footsteps from behind and found Martha entering all dressed and ready to go out. "Banana pancakes again?" she said.

The Doctor turned around with mock offense. "Blimey, everyone's so critical of my cooking skills today."

"It's not your skills," Martha assured. "It's your variety. You've made the same thing for the last few days."

"What's wrong with banana pancakes?" He asked indignantly.

"Don't bother, Martha," Rose spoke up. "You won't convince him otherwise."

"Oh, come on," the Doctor said taking his seat across from the girls. "It could be worse. _Rose_ could've cooked something." The woman being mentioned reached over and made a move to smack his arm, but he dodged her attack. "Is that the thanks I get for serving you girls for a week?" He sniffed and adjusted his tie. "I think some gratitude is necessary."

"You want gratitude?" Rose said, arching a brow. "Be grateful we didn't sneak any pears in here while you cleaned up."

The Doctor gave her a pointed look. "Now, Rose Tyler, you know very well we have no pears onboard, and you'd have no way of retrieving any since we've been drifting in the vortex for a week, so I needn't worry."

"Well, if I knew how to drive the TARDIS then I would've made a stop," she teased.

He snorted. "Then I should be grateful I haven't taught you, then."

"I bet she'd be a way better driver than you," Martha commented.

"Oi! I'm not a bad driver!"

Rose laughed. "Keep believing that, Doctor. You know it's not true."

The rest of the conversation continued humorously, and it felt like things fell back into place after months of distance, bitterness, and sadness. Finally, they could go back to their normal lives and travel across the stars.

After breakfast, the Doctor decided to take the girls on a magical mystery tour, where he'd set the coordinates to random and whatever they stopped at would be their next destination. Stepping out of the TARDIS they were jittery to land in a wonderful and beautiful planet…and wound up being greeted with soldiers with pale yellow skin and spears pointed directly at them.

Apparently they arrived in a place where the color blue was taboo to their God's will, and with the TARDIS standing out prominently in a world bathed in a light yellow hue, they were bound to be chased after. That and, also by some lovely chance, the residents here were basically high grade chauvinists. Not even hesitating, the Doctor rushed the girls back inside the ship and made their quick getaway.

_Maybe the magical mystery tours should be pushed off for a little while_, he thought to himself.

This time, the Doctor put in the coordinates himself and took the girls to an amusement park planet. Rose asked him why he didn't choose to go to Gresobupp like the last time and made a comment that he always proved how poor his driving was. He said that he landed them on its sister planet Pulgregg, which was just as much, if not even more, fun as the other.

The rides were fast and thrilling, but the one that got the most praise was the anti-gravity rollercoaster that went around the entire planet. The Doctor urged the girls to try it out despite their reluctance. He grabbed both of their hands and led them towards the ride and threw them in the first row of seats. When the ride began, Rose immediately took his hand, gripping so tight as they shot across the air. The three of them screamed at the fast-paced mechanisms until it came to a complete stop.

Hours later, the girls—mainly Martha—were completely spent from going on every single ride on the planet. _Twice._ Afterwards, they went over to one of the gift shops—which the Doctor couldn't refuse, and got a bunch of souvenirs as well as some prizes from playing games.

Next, he took them to see the landing on the moon—four times—before taking them to an underwater aquarium of the 47th century where you could actually walk along the ocean floor and watch as the various creatures swam by around the thick see through glass dome. On the walls were small speakers that allowed visitors to have the opportunity to talk to the lifeforms. Not to Rose's surprise, the Doctor rambled on about God knows what, and was sending the creatures off to sleep, making him frown and the girls to laugh.

The creature that Rose talked to resembled that of a mole with black and white stripes. It seemed to like her very much, to which the Doctor huffed and said that she was always the nicer one even when he wasn't being rude. Martha communicated with a whale-like creature that also was quite fond of her. Both girls laughed when the Doctor pouted. Soon enough, however, a cat-like creature came up to him and didn't shy away. Rose made another joke about how he was 'supposedly' not a cat person, and he responded with an innocent look.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Making their way back to the TARDIS, Martha suggested they have another movie night in the media room. She took the side armchair while Rose and the Doctor sat on the couch, his arm wrapped around her back as she rested her head on his chest and brought her legs up to the side. Since they finished the _Harry Potter_ franchise—even the future ones up to 2011—Rose suggested something she knew would rowl up the Doctor enough to have him criticizing and picking apart piece by piece.

And she chose _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure._

Unsurprisingly, the Doctor gave his critical commentary throughout the entire film. He kept his opinions strong and made them known by saying how it was monumentally inaccurate with the Laws of Time, repeating that the entire world would have imploded if two dimwitted students actually would do something so ludicrous as traveling in time to come across historical figures and bringing them all back to the present timeline together all for a silly school project that they didn't bother to study for. But the thing that made Rose laugh the most was that they also traveled in a time traveling ship disguised as a _phone booth._

"Did you happen to inspire the creator of the movie some time in the past?" Martha asked with a laugh.

He scoffed. "I _highly_ doubt it. If I did, then they'd certainly know that this is completely _wrong!"_

Rose patted his chest and smiled. "'S only a movie, Doctor."

"And an _extremely_ inaccurate one at that! It breaks just about _every single_ Law of Time! I suppose we should be thankful there's only _one _phone box flying around, and unoccupied by…teenage slackers."

"Yes, because the world needs a mad man in a box to save the universe," Rose commented lightly.

"Oh, yes."

Once the movie was over, the Doctor suggested they watch something more relevant. So he picked _The Muppet Movie._

"Doctor, we've watched that so many times," Rose groaned.

"So? It's a classic! You can't go wrong with the classics," He defended, arching an eyebrow at her. "It's definitely better than that eighty-five minute abomination we just finished."

Both girls laughed when the movie began to play. Within the first few minutes, he was already singing along with Kermit the Frog. Rose rolled her eyes as she pillowed her head on his chest. He was such a fanboy.

About a half hour had passed and Martha was starting to nod off. "I know you both don't need sleep as much, but I'm still human and I need it," she said as she stood up from the side chair.

"You sure you can't make it 'til the end?" The Doctor asked. "You'll miss out on…well, everything else."

Martha waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay, it's not like I haven't seen it before. You two enjoy it."

Rose snorted. "We've enjoyed it like a hundred times."

"Now Rose, that's an exaggeration," the Doctor pointed out. _"We_ haven't watched it a _hundred_ times—it's only been sixty-seven."

"Of course _you'd_ be the one to actually count. And I'll bet you've watched it more times by yourself."

He sniffed while Martha chuckled. "Night you two," she told them before leaving them to themselves in the media room.

They both continued to watch the film in silence, though Rose barely paid any attention to it once she felt the Doctor gently trace his fingers in tight circles over her ribs. She closed her eyes and sighed. Small, tender gestures like those always made her feel so tranquil whenever she lay in his arms. Nestling in his warmth, she nuzzled the cotton of his suit and took in his scent. Her arms were wrapped around his waist as she mirrored his caresses on his side.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, resuming his actions as he traced the words he's been longing to tell her for quite some time but have yet to do so. She knew how much he cared for her and how he loved her with all of his hearts, but what he really needed was for her to _truly _understand exactly what she was to him. There was only one way he could do it, but the whole process scared him.

No. He didn't have to rush it. He could deal with the pain splitting his head to wait a little longer. Hopefully.

The TARDIS hummed in his mind. Judging by that, She thought otherwise. The Doctor rolled his eyes. Cheeky ship, always trying to push him further. But he wasn't ready yet…or maybe he was…truthfully, he wasn't even sure anymore. Eager as he was to try forming a bond, he honestly couldn't imagine Rose handling all of it well. He felt ashamed by that, but the moment she saw every dark corner in his mind, she'd back away almost instantly.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

The softness of Rose's voice brought him out of his musings. "Oh…a great deal of things," he answered evenly. "Big mind and all."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He chuckled. "You really wanna waste money on what _I'm_ thinking about? You'll need more than just a penny." He tilted his head. "Now that you mention it, you still owe me five quid for being wrong about the Beatles having more number ones than Elvis."

Rose scoffed. "Keep dreamin'. _You_ still owe me ten for saying I couldn't get Queen Victoria to say, 'I am not amused'," she said in the mock posh voice. "I'll pay up when you do."

"Hm. No, I'm good," he replied.

They were quiet for a moment until Rose said, "Doctor…is something bothering you?"

His ears began to burn. His Rose could read him all too well. "What makes you say that?" he retorted.

"'S just…you seem like you've got something on your mind."

What an understatement that was. "Weeeell…" he drawled.

She raised her head off of his chest and lifted herself up to her kness to look him in the eye. "You know you can always talk to me if you're dwelling on something—"

"I know, Rose," he cut in with a nod. "I'm fine." She lowered her chin and arched an eyebrow at him. _"Really,_ I'm fine," he assured.

She studied him as he stressed he was alright, though she wasn't buying it one bit…but if something _was_ eating away at him, she knew how to make him better, to remind him that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Nodding once she placed a hand on the side of his face and stroked his sideburn.

"Well, whatever's buzzin' around in that big Time Lord brain of yours," she told him quietly, moving her hand to brush his hair and causing his eyes to slip shut. "Don't let it pull you down…just let it go."

_Oh, if only it was that simple,_ the Doctor thought to himself. The one thing that was on his mind was something he couldn't push off to the side, at least not anymore.

"Rose…" he breathed out in a whisper, opening his eyes to see her own softening.

How exactly could he bring this up to her? This was a huge step that he was unsure if she was willing to take, and if she actually did she would never be able to rid herself from all of the darkness and guilt lodged inside of him. But…he really didn't have to initiate it just yet, right? Sure, his head was throbbing and burning—sometimes to the point where he'd want to pound his head against a wall from pushing it off up to date, but that didn't mean he had to go straight into it.

Instead he raised a hand to brush two knuckles down her cheek before moving it to the back of her head, pulling her in for a brief kiss. He intended it to only be for a moment, but, just like any other time, it was challenging to resist her kiss. He felt her shift slightly until she was seated in his lap, her hands tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss with the slight flick of her tongue at his part. With his hands rested firmly on her hips, he raised one up to the base of her neck, gently tugging at her hair until she moaned.

He fought back on an irritated growl once he felt the back of his head tighten with every ticking second that passed by as they shared what has become such a natural gesture between them for almost a year. Now it was turning into a burning pain that continuously stabbed him in the back of his mind.

Much to his need but not his want, he abruptly broke the kiss once his vision blurred. Opening his eyes, he was met with the…incredibly beautiful sight of Rose's swollen and glistening lips, parted as she tried to catch her breath. _Rassilon, help him._ Clearing his throat, the Doctor offered her a small smirk before shifting themselves back to their original position with her resting her head on his chest while he caressed her side.

They finished watching the movie together until he lifted her up in his arms to carry her to their room. With every step that he took he felt the pounding in the back of his head rise more and more, causing him to bite back on another growl. He carefully lay her down on the bed, tucking the duvet under her. Standing beside her, his hand gravitated towards her face, the tips of two fingers slowly sliding down her cheek with feather light touches.

His Rose, his wonderful Rose. If only this whole thing was easier to tackle. Lowering his hand the Doctor left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Walking down the corridor, he came across the medbay and entered. There was no reason to be here, but he just felt the need to shake himself out of his daze.

He felt the TARDIS nudge his mind gently, which he was thankful for. That was until She began to scold him again. The Doctor groaned. "_Can we please not speak of this right now?_" he said through their link.

A calmer hum came to his ears…then a piercing screech. He pulled back with gritted teeth and muttered in his native tongue as he went into the small en suite in the corner. Running the cold tap water, he splashed some on his face. The coldness felt numb on his face as his head still felt heated. He couldn't keep living like this. He had to bond with her soon…but what if she couldn't handle it? And if she did, what if she wouldn't want it?

"_You have yet to talk to her to see if what you believe is true,_" the TARDIS hummed.

The Doctor sighed. _"I know, but…what if_—_"_

_"Assumptions should not be made when actions haven't taken place to know the truth."_

_"Gee, like I didn't know that already_," he thought sarcastically. _"I'll talk to her…just not yet."_ Another irritated screech. Letting out a growl he made his way out of the en suite and into the testing room. "Will you stop pressuring me?" He yelled out loud to the ceiling. "I can't do it right now, alright? I'll just wait."

_"You have waited long enough,_" the TARDIS shot back. _"The Wolf is ready for you."_

_"You're doing it again. Just leave me alone!"_

_"You are not really alone, my Thief. The Wolf is here to stay,"_ She hummed gently.

The Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face._ "Yes, I know, but I've got plenty of time to create it."_

_"The pain you feel says otherwise."_

He shook his head._ "I'll just deal with it. I've suffered through pain before, then I could deal with this a little longer."_

_"You lie to yourself. It's too unbearable to keep for so long. You must release it."_

_"Maybe so. But I'm not pushing her through this the same way you keep pressuring me."_ With that he walked out of the room to pace through the corridors.

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**Response to _Candy thy Cutie:_ Hiya! It's no problem. Nice to hear from you ;)**


	41. Blink

**A/N ****I've been driving myself mad with these upcoming chapters. I suppose some action is needed, so hopefully you enjoy ****Anyways much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! I adore you all ;D**

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_**Chapter 41: Blink**_

Usually when the TARDIS would hum calmly, Rose would always appreciate it as it was soothing to her ears in the morning—especially for her beings as she is definitely not a morning person. But right now, she didn't feel like getting out of bed.

Peeking one eye open, she was met with the opposite side of the bed unoccupied. She stretched her arm to place a hand to the sheets. Cold. The Doctor didn't even come to bed. Truthfully, she didn't even know she came in here. The last thing she remembered was the both of them watching the rest of _the Muppet Movie_, and then they snogged each other senseless for a few minutes before finishing the film. At some point she must have fallen asleep and he carried her to bed.

She's wondered why the Doctor hasn't stayed with her until the morning since…a little while. They weren't distancing themselves from each other any more, and she couldn't thank God enough for that, but something was clearly bothering him. A few days ago she could've sworn that she heard him complaining about another one of his headaches. Come to think about it, they've been quite frequent this whole week. He may have had a couple over the last few months, but not this many in such a short amount of time.

What was wrong with him? She tried to ask him countless times if there was something she could do to help him, but he'd insist that there wasn't much for her to do anyways. It had to be more than just the headaches. Being with him for over two and a half years has allowed her to be able to read him a little easier. Maybe not see all the way through him, but it wasn't hard to note his distress. Whatever was bothering him must be eating away at him so hard that he didn't want to tell her about it.

But Rose was determined enough to at least try to get him to talk. If something was beating him up inside, he shouldn't keep dwelling on it by himself. She's told him time and time again that he could let her in whenever he wanted to, no matter what was on his mind. Apparently, he was still reluctant to comply. She wouldn't try to force it out of him, but a little easing in would do the job. Maybe she'll try it later.

Another calm hum came from above, and she smiled. "Is he okay, Old Girl?" She sent the equivalent of a shoulder shrug. "And he says that I'm the stubborn one," she said with a chuckle. "But seriously. Something's bothering him, and he won't tell me. What do I do, Old Girl?"

_"Patience, my Wolf,"_ the ship whispered.

"Yeah, I've been that for a long time now," Rose said with a laugh.

_"Don't mind his demeanor. He will come around."_

Nodding, Rose rolled off the bed. "Let's hope so."

Making her way out of the bedroom, Rose found the Doctor in the console room toying with some kind of thingamabob. Not surprising at all. He must have felt her presence and immediately turned around.

"Ah, you're finally up," he said, tossing the item off to the side with negligence.

"How long was I out?"

He tilted his head and placed his hands into his pockets. "Oh…about six point three five hours."

Rose snorted. "You're like my own personal recordkeeper."

"Well…it's handy, innit? I must say with that amount you're dangerously close to returning to your old habits."

She smacked his arm playfully. "Oh, and you'd love that, wouldn't you? Jus' to toss me out of bed to wake me up."

He hummed. "Truthfully, I'd prefer it if you _wouldn't_ go back to your old sleeping schedule as you're not fully human anymore and it's unnecessary." He squinted one of his eyes. "Although…you're still human enough, so it's expected with _you."_

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Where we off to?"

"Ah! A brilliant place especially for you ladies," he cheered happily as he bounced around the console. "Remember when I said that there were many resort planets out there? Well, I'm taking you both to the most popular secluded bungalow." He flipped the switch, sending them in-flight.

The turbulence wasn't as bad as usual, but they both managed to bump into each other. Coming to their landing a jolt rocked the ship and sent them both to the floor, the Doctor landing flat on his back and Rose landing on top of him. _Oh, boy,_ he thought. Shamefully just being within her proximity was enough to make the ache in the back of his mind pound, but whenever they ended up in such…intimate positions, it only made it worse. His ears burned as his breath hitched. Rose appeared to be a little shocked by their position, but looked to be suppressing a laugh.

This had to be intentional on the TARDIS's part. Pushing him more and more. How could his magnificent ship turn on him so easily. _When did he lose control of Her?_ He inwardly scoffed. It's been that way for a while. The longer he was this close to her, the more his head scorched, and the more his craving of her grew. Screwing his eyes shut, he tried as hard as he could to stifle a painful groan.

After a few more moments, Rose spoke. "You okay?"

Masking his dilemma and keeping his control, he nodded. "Yeah," he managed to choke out. "It's just that…"

"What?"

Thinking of a good cover, he peeked one of his eyes open. "You're really heavy," he teased.

Rose responded by swatting his chest. "Oh, so not only did you call me fat, you're calling me heavy?"

Both of his eyes shot open. "Huh? No! I was only kidding! I never called you fat, I said you were…curvy in the right…places…" Blimey, does he need help. "But honestly Rose, how are you supposed to enjoy the islands of Kaao'Tilia from here?"

Letting out a snort, she pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose before rolling him. Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. "Now!" He clapped his hands together. "Go wake Martha. Can't have her picking up your hibernating habits." She playfully smacked his arm before heading down the corridor.

Watching her as she left, the Doctor sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling the throbbing ease up slightly when she was of a certain distance away. This was horrible. This wasn't what he wanted. Yes, he wanted to bond with her—well, now it's become a desperate _need,_ but still all the same—but was _her_ pain worth taking away his own?

Once more the TARDIS came to his mind, and he groaned again. She was going to keep demanding that he tell Rose about this as soon as possible, but he was afraid to know exactly what would happen after he did. No. He wasn't ready yet. He still had time. All he had to do was make it through the pain. _Shouldn't be hard, right?_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Oh, I've been waiting to get to an island," Martha said happily.

Rose smiled. "I know, right? I mean, seeing the Doctor have to act as a servant was deserving enough, but you definitely should be frolicking across beaches."

"Yeah. Though I do wish that we should've forced him wear that maid outfit."

They both snickered. "He's been through enough this past week…" Rose said, before grinning. "But that doesn't mean we won't think of doing it another time."

Making their way into the console room, they saw the Doctor shrugging on his coat and standing by the ramp with a smile on his face. It still warmed Rose's insides to see them back to their old lives.

"Ready?" He asked, raising his brows. When they nodded, he stood off to the side and gestured to the door. "Ladies first."

Not even hesitating the girls eagerly ran down the ramp, preparing to feel the relaxing heat from a bright sun or two, to step onto an area of sand and kick their feet along the dunes, to dive into a beautiful ocean shining like the never-ending sky—but what they got instead was the disappointing feeling of a damp coldness smacking them in the face along with light drizzle.

"What the hell?" Martha asked indignantly.

"And the bad driving skills strike once again," Rose commented, giving the Doctor a pointed look over her shoulder.

Coming down the ramp, the Doctor stood behind the girls and studied their surroundings. "Oh…" he breathed out.

Rose arched an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest._"Now_ will you admit that you're not as good a driver like you thought?"

"Oi!" He cried. "It was just a little mistake. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the _universe_ is just…distorted?"

"Never willing to take responsibility, are ya?"

"I would," he sniffed. "Not my problem that the universe can't handle my driving. The TARDIS must have picked up some weird readings."

In response, Rose patted his arm before taking in their surroundings. A large gate with a standout sign reading _**'Danger: Keep Out'**_ was ahead with various trees blowing in the wind. Behind the gate was a large structure that appeared to be abandoned. Rose felt a chill just staring at it.

"Wait a minute…isn't this Wester Drumlins?" she asked.

The Doctor sniffed and nodded. "Looks like it. Wanna investigate?"

Before Rose could speak Martha beat her to it. "I thought we were gonna go to an island. An actual alien island somewhere off on another planet."

"Oh, they'll always be there," the Doctor said, waving his hand as he stepped up to the gate.

"So will this old place," she retorted.

"Well…maybe so," he pulled at the gate then turned to the girls and waggled his eyebrows. "But a little mystery is always fun, eh?"

Usually Rose was always for a little investigating, but just standing away from the house was giving her an uneasy feeling. She was with Martha and would rather be on an island somewhere far off the other side of the galaxy. Then again both she and the Doctor enjoyed breaking the rules.

"Alright, just a quick look around," she said, coming up to the gate. She arched an eyebrow at the Doctor. "We better end up at a beach after this or I'll smack you." He chuckled. She poked his chest and grinned cheekily. "Or better yet…I won't snog you for a week."

His eyes widened but he smirked. "Ooh, haven't we had enough isolation? I don't even think you'd be able to survive that withdrawal."

"Wanna risk it?"

Martha sighed dramatically from the side. "Guys, I know everything's all good and lovely between you two, but you've got plenty of time to flirt with each other. If we're gonna check this…creepy place out, let's do it fast. I want heat, sand, and an ocean."

The Doctor snorted. "Martha Jones, why must you take the fun out of everything? A little mystery won't hurt. Now come on."

He held out his hands to help the girls climb up the gate and to the other side. Once they each made it over, they went up the main steps and went through the door. Judging by how loud the creaking was, this place has been abandoned for a long time. Fallen chandeliers graced the floor as glass shards covered corners of the room. A rotted fireplace was on the other side with moss growing in it. The wallpaper was peeling off slightly revealing cracked walls with more moss growing in.

How beautiful.

"It's like Scooby Doo's house," Martha commented.

Rose laughed. "I guess that makes us the rest of the gang. Does that mean the TARDIS is our mystery machine?"

The Doctor smiled at her. "Guess so. Seems appropriate…" he studied Rose. "And you've played the damsel in distress part many a times, so that fits _you_ nicely." He snickered when she smacked his arm.

It was nice to be back in their old groove. For a moment, he completely ignored the fact that his head felt like it was splitting apart. He was right. He didn't have to mention the bond just yet, not while everything was just coming back around for them.

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Right. Now as we're investigating, let's split up and see what little secrets are hiding within these moss covered walls."

"Assuming the role of leader, are ya?" Rose joked.

He sniffed. "Had it before we landed here, didn't I?"

"Well, if you're declaring yourself to be Fred, it's suitable considering lots of your plans don't work."

"Oi! I'm not the one who'd stumble across a spinning wall and get herself trapped."

Rose stepped over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Then how can I be saved by my Doctor?"

They both giggled while Martha rolled her eyes. "As much as I love seeing you two act all gushy to the point where I wanna gag, the faster we look around the faster we can head out to a resort."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at her. "Impatient, are we? Don't fret, we'll be outta here in five minutes tops." He tilted his head. "Unless we come across a bloke in a mask, then with that case we'll be a _little_ longer."

Rose laughed as she began to enter another room. "We'll let you know if we come across any costumed thieves."

The Doctor threw her a wink as he went his own way towards another room.

As she kept searching through the abandoned house, Rose tried to keep her sound of disgust to herself. While mysteries were always exciting, investigating a creepy house that could possibly be haunted really wasn't hitting her in the right places like their other investigations have.

She felt another chill shoot through her when she passed by one of the back doors. A cellar way appeared underneath the steps, a small glint of light shining through. Opening it, dust immediately flew out and into her nostrils causing her to cough. _Lovely._ It was dark and it only sent another chill down her spine. Something didn't feel right.

Closing the door, she backed away and made her way back to the entrance where they came through. Whatever mystery was going on around here - well, if there was one rather, she didn't want to stick around to know exactly what it was. Turning a corner, she felt a breeze hit the back of her neck. Looking over her shoulder she was met with nothing.

If this was the Doctor trying to scare her again…

Shaking her head Rose turned back around, and was greeted by an ancient looking stone statue carved to be an angel with its hands covering their eyes in a way that could be weeping suddenly placed in front of her. She gasped at the shock, holding a hand to her chest over her TARDIS key that always dangled around her neck. How the hell did a statue get here? It wasn't there a moment ago.

Jinkies.

"Doctor, if you're trying to trick me," she called out with a chuckle. Just staring at the statue was giving Rose even more chills. This seemed…bad. They needed to get out of here. Walking around it, she headed down to the main entrance in hopes of finding the Doctor right away.

That was until she felt something poke her in the back, causing her to scream at the shock. A flash of white light clouded her vision, and she felt herself levitate before a zapping sound filled her ears.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor examined the moss covered cracks in the walls as he snooped around the first floor of the abandoned house. With a single finger he was about to test to see exactly how old this place was, but he had his limits as he's told Rose once more. And he didn't fancy having her say she wasn't snogging him anymore all because he examined moss.

Yeah, he could pass that up.

Though testing it wasn't entirely necessary as anyone could tell that this place bas been empty for quite a while. It gave off the kind of vibe that could make one's skin crawl, but that's what made these mysteries exciting—the thrill off seeing what was hidden behind structures with interesting backstories. This one though didn't appear to have one. Maybe the girls were right, they could've passed on this one.

That was until a familiar cry got his attention. Out of instinct, he dashed for the source, though he knew very well who it was—his precious damsel in distress as if on cue. As much as he wanted to make a silly joke about how Rose always managed to find trouble and pull of silly pranks to freak him out, the scream that escaped from her seemed all too realistic and not to be taken as fake.

His Rose may have been an amazing actress when it came to creating facades, he desperately hoped this was all a joke. But he feared that it wasn't. What was lurking around in here?

Turning a corner, he made a noise of surprise when he bumped into Martha. "Where's Rose?" he asked quickly.

Martha shook her head. "I dunno, I just heard her scream."

"Come on, let's find her."

Frantically running around the house they came across a back door that was opened. She couldn't have run away, could she? No, not Rose. She wouldn't desert them if something frightened her. Peering out of the open space, all they saw was a garden with broken glass, fallen leaves, and stones laying all around.

"Where is she?" Martha asked. "It sounded like she came around here."

The Doctor shrugged. Maybe this was just a prank after all…and then that's when he turned around and froze in place. An angel statue stood before him, but it wasn't some ordinary one—it was a Weeping Angel. Why couldn't it have been just a simple bloke in a beaten up costume? Its hands were lowered from its face, one of them holding something shiny. While chancing a glance to see what it was, he didn't have to as he could make out its shape below his vision and his breath hitched.

At the end of the string held tightly in its fist was Rose's key to the TARDIS. Oh, no. No, no, no.

"Martha," he said as calm as he could, his eyes never leaving the angel. He heard her gasp but held his arm up to make her relax. "Listen to me. This is bad. Very, very bad. Whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements. I need you to grab my hand, don't let go of it, and keep an eye out for any other angels."

"But…it's just a _statue,"_ she stated.

"Not as such, it's not exactly what you think. Don't think about that right now. Just do what I've told you and most importantly: _don't blink."_

She obeyed and turned around. With his eyes remaining fixed on the Angel, the Doctor reached over slowly to retrieve Rose's key. As soon as his fingers grazed it, he felt Martha jump behind him, making him stumble a bit and that was all it took in a split second until a bright light blinded him.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

At first Rose felt like she was flying, but then found herself land hard against the cold wet ground. Her head felt dizzy for a moment, but felt it ease up once the spots before her eyes disappeared. Letting out a groan, she tried to sit upright, but in the process of doing so the wave of dizziness came back to her. Finally managing to blink away the spots blocking her vision, she looked around and saw that she somehow ended up in some kind of tunnel. Well, this was some mystery. A mystery with a twist. How the hell could she have gone from wandering around an abandoned house to ending up in a tunnel outside?

Then she remembered…she saw an angel statue. Something about it made her skin crawl, and apparently there was a good reason for it. She felt like she was missing something. Her eyes widened when she looked down at her chest to find her TARDIS key was still gone. Off to the side she caught sight of a newspaper. Grabbing it her breath hitched at what she saw.

The year was 1969, and it was the springtime.

"Oh, God." Just what she needed. But where was the Doctor?

Her question was soon answered when the Doctor suddenly appeared and crashed down to the ground not far from her. As if on cue.

"Oh, rough transport," he groaned. "Ow…"

"Doctor!" She cried, running over to him. He stood to his feet right away and held her tight. "It wasn't a bloke in a costume that I ran into," she told him half jokingly.

"How I wish it was," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Still, at least you're alright."

"My key's missing, and it's 1969," she told him.

He pulled back and bit his lip, his eyes widening when she handed him the paper. "Yeah…that's a slight problem."

Of course it is. The last thing either of them wanted was to be stranded somewhere. "Where's—"

Before she could finish, the woman in question soon appeared. Releasing each other, the Doctor and Rose went over and helped Martha up. "What the hell just happened?"

"The Weeping Angels happened," the Doctor answered. "And they've zapped us back to 1969 while the TARDIS is still in present day London."

"What!?" Rose showed her the newspaper, and she sighed. "Please tell me we can get outta here."

The Doctor scratched his sideburn and squinted his eyes. "Ah, well…we can but it's not gonna be simple. Since they've transported us into the past without the TARDIS, and have Rose's key in their possession, it'll be a bit…complicated."

"How complicated?"

He paused. "Very complicated. At least there's the moon landing to look forward to," he added lightly.

"For the fifth time," Rose said, shaking her head. Maybe investigating that house _wasn't_ the best idea.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor led the girls outside of the tunnel to walk around London in 1969. He should've seen this coming eventually. Just when things are going good, something gets in the way. And now he was stuck in one place in one time. _Again._ And it had to be during the time when he was exiled from home. Brilliant.

"I take it they're not really angels, then," Rose commented as they strolled down the pavements, earning odd looks from passing pedestrians. With this being a different period of time, their clothes were definitely out of style. Or in this case, not _yet_ in style.

He sucked in a breath. "How I wish they were. Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels. The Lonely Assassins, they used to be called. They're old, _incredibly_ old. Very nearly as old as the universe itself."

"How'd they survive that long?" Martha asked. "Is it 'cause they're made of stone?"

"Not…necessarily," he said, tilting his head. "You see, they're unique in the sense that they don't exist when they're being observed—they're Quantum Locked. The moment they're seen by another living creature they freeze into rock. Literally just turn into stone. That's why they cover their eyes."

"Because they can't even look at each other," Rose concluded.

He nodded, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Exactly. But if you're to ever come across one, the most important thing to do is to _never_ turn your back on one, and to _never_ blink. That's all it takes. One split second is all it takes for them to move. They're fast, those buggers. Faster than you could even _imagine._ They live off potential energy from others. No fuss at all, just zap you in the past and let you live to death while they consume the energy of the days you might have had."

"Classy," Martha commented.

"The only psychopaths in the universe that kill you kindly," he said. "But what we're dealing with is bad. Very bad. Probably extremely bad. Although…it could be worse, I suppose."

"At least we ended up in the same place and time," Rose said lightly. "I mean, one of us could've ended up on the other side of the world or in the 1800s."

Martha snorted. "Yeah, that's all I'd need. But what're we supposed to do now?"

A thought came to Rose. "Wait a minute. Doctor, d'you still have that folder? That purple one?"

His brows furrowed as his lips moved, no words coming out as he remembered. "Oh! Right! That blonde woman from the store - what was her name…"

"Sally Sparrow, it was," Rose supplied. "Right?"

"That's it! The one with the name of a bird," he reached in his jacket and pulled out said folder. "Brilliant!"

"You've been carrying that around?" Martha asked, eyeing it.

"Of course," he said as a matter of factly.

"Why?"

"Martha, you'd be surprised to know what other things he lugs around in those pockets of his," Rose responded. "He hoards bunches of bananas—"

"Oi!" The Doctor cried. "It's not _hoarding,_ it's _collecting._ I've explained the difference between the two. Besides you never know when you'll need some extra potassium."

"I'm sorry, but how's that supposed to help? The folder I mean," Martha asked.

"Remember the whole Klugobbian and Ulrissi escapade months ago? The lizards?" He tilted his head. "Well, they weren't _technically_ lizards, they're similar—"

"Doctor," Rose cut in.

"Sorry. Anyways, Sally Sparrow gave me this," he held it up. "Said that everything we'd need would be in here. Reckon we look through this right away. The faster we get out of this time period the better."

Rose chuckled. "I know how jittery you get with these situations, Doctor, and I'm not too thrilled about this either, but what is it about this year that's pullin' ya?"

He took a deep breath. "Let's just say this wasn't really one of the best years of my life."

She was about to ask why, but figured it may have been something personal. She patted his arm. "'S okay, Doctor. We'll get out of here. How long d'you think we'll be here?"

"Depends. Hopefully not as long as last time I was stranded here. Probably a week…or two."

"Where are we supposed to go?" Martha asked, looking around.

The Doctor took a breath. What he was about to say was something he'd never want to do or experience, but as they were currently without the resources of his beautiful ship, it was the only option they had.

"We're gonna have to find a flat," he told them. "I've a savings account provided by UNIT, but I can't risk them tracking me down, so I can only take a small amount." He reached in his jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, twirling it in his fingers. "Shame there's no ATMs around here yet, at least reliable kinds, but the psychic paper should come in handy just like always in the bank." He turned back to the girls. "You two are gonna have to find jobs I'm afraid."

Rose stared at him wide eyed. Not because of the fact that she needed to find a job, but by what he had said before all of that. "Whoa, hold up," she began. "You…have a savings account? You've got _money!?"_

"Ehm…so to speak," he responded.

"So all this time _I've_ been paying for everything while you actually had money," she said in disbelief.

He scratched the back of his neck. "You _could_ say that, but I choose not to take anything out of it."

Rose chuckled. "Why, you cheap?"

"Of course not!" He said indignantly. He scanned his surroundings and led both girls down near an alleyway as he explained. "Back then, I was working with UNIT. Well, technically speaking, I still _am._ The reason why I don't touch my account is 'cause the moment I do, they'll send down a cavalry to come look for me, and I really don't feel like dealing with them. _Especially_ right now. But if I make a small withdrawal, it shouldn't cause any suspicions."

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only did the Doctor have _money,_ but he had a job. _Him._ All this time he could've paid for chips among other things. Oh, she would always remind him of that.

"Isn't UNIT the organization that deals with alien problems?" Martha asked. He nodded. "And you worked for them?"

"Not _for_ them, _with_ them," he clarified, waving his hand dismissively. "Long story, not important. But I could only take out a small amount so not to make myself detected. That's why you two have to find jobs."

"I still can't get over the fact that you had money all this time," she said with a laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can rag on me about that later, but right now we need to settle down for about two weeks so we can get out of here. Okay. There's a bank down the street. Search for a flat, and I'll come up with the money, got it?" Both girls nodded. "Good. Off we go."

Before he turned to leave, Rose stopped him. "Relax, Doctor. I know this all seems too…domestic for you, but we'll make it out of here."

He sighed. "I know. These things happen too frequently."

"Yeah, but being stuck with you isn't so bad," she reminded with a wide smile.

He chuckled and leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips before sprinting down the street to the bank. The back of his head began to throb again, but eased up the further away from Rose he was. He wanted to scream. He hated living like this. If they had the TARDIS, She'd be scolding him once more. Still, he'll fight it for now. Hopefully he could control himself for at least two weeks.

Hopefully.

* * *

**Response to _random fangirl:_ Awwww I'm glad I'm brightening up your days as much as you're doing the same for me *hugs* Don't worry, life'll get better. Keep looking up, hun. Thank you so much! Much love, girl ;D**

**Response to_ Candy thy Cutie:_ I LOVE YOU TOO! XD**


	42. Under Pressure

**A/N: *currently fangirling over the released pics of DT at Marvel Studios* Seriously, I'm so excited! ****As always, many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! Much love ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 42: Under Pressure**_

Never did Rose think that when she woke up this morning she'd be searching for an available flat to stay at for about two weeks as they were stranded. Then again, she also wasn't expecting to be sent back into 1969 while they were stuck. Somewhat of a normal day in their life. Well…not really, but a situation like this was kind of set for them.

Thankfully the purple folder given to them by Sally Sparrow was still in the Doctor's possession, so this whole thing could end soon enough. It still baffled her that he had a job—one that paid. He had money. While it wasn't anything serious, it was amusing to know. She was going to tease him about this constantly. Just picturing him being careful with his spending…

Speaking of which, both she and Martha needed a change of clothes. By the looks everyone was giving them, they needed to wear the type of clothes that were in style at this time. But before any purchases could be made, the main focus was to find a flat for rent.

Much to their relief and need, they found one down the block about fifteen minutes later. Taking a look inside, it was a reasonable size. There were two bedrooms, including a small guest room, with a kitchen connected to the living room and an en suite off to the side and a back door leading to a balcony to peer at the horizon and secluded area of trees in the garden. It almost appeared to be of similar structure as Rose's mum's. How she missed that place, and her mother.

Signing a lease and setting up all agreements, the girls headed back out and walked down the street. Coming across the bank, they found the Doctor casually leaning against a brick wall with his hands in his pockets. He caught sight of them approaching and pushed himself off of the wall.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"Yeah, we got a place," Martha said. "It's not that far from here. We've got the keys."

She held them out, and the Doctor nodded. "Brilliant. Though keys aren't necessary for me," he added, taking out the sonic and grinning.

"So, you get the money?" Rose asked.

"Yep," he answered, popping the 'p' as he patted his jacket pocket. "All set."

"Good. Now you can buy us some food," she teased.

He arched an eyebrow. "You gonna make a habit out of this?"

She laughed. "No! But now you can give me the ten quid you owe me."

He huffed. "You know you'll have to blend in around here now. Different year, different style."

"We already knew that, Doctor. Why don't you go get us something to eat while we shop?" He was about to protest, but she added. "Unless you wanna shop with us and buy some new clothes for yourself."

"What's wrong with the way I look?" he said with mock offense as he straightened his tie. "I'll have you know that I blend in where her I go, and certainly don't need a change of clothes—especially the kind with pockets that are _not_ bigger on the inside."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just get some food, Doctor. We'll meet you back at the flat."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Of all of the options of a worthy eatery available in this part of the city and in this time period, the Doctor settled simply on fish and chips for each of them, carrying it all in a large bag. Some more thought could've been put into the duty of purchasing food, but the girls didn't specify on what exactly they wanted, so this would have to do.

If not, then oh well. He usually wasn't the type to buy things—at least on Earth.

All he knew was that he couldn't wait to get out of this place. Being stranded was one thing which would _never_ be pleasant no matter when_or_ where he was, but this particular year was one he wasn't fond of. That along with the few after. This was the year that he was exiled from Gallifrey in his second incarnation but was forced to regenerate and was confined to only travel in this era in his third. So of course he'd hate to relive certain memories that weren't really the best—all of the encounters with…a particular, familiar someone.

Though he _was_ fond of his old roadster Bessie.

The longer they remained here the more likely he was bound to run into his past self, which, to say the least, wouldn't go too well. It's happened times before where he'd run into his past and even future selves, but if he came across them then the universe was definitely in danger of unraveling. And if he came near his third self, the same thing would happen.

However, when comparing the two incidents of being stranded on Earth in this particular time period, at least his past self had _available_ access to the TARDIS - despite the fact that the Time Lords wiped out some knowledge from his head on how to operate Her. Still, that counted as something. Now his precious ship was in danger of being consumed by those bloody Weeping Angels.

Well…he supposed it could be a whole lot worse of a situation than what they were currently in. Like Rose said: they all ended up in the same place and time. At least the same Angel zapped them. But now without the TARDIS, they had to stay in a flat. The domestic approach. The very thought always made him shudder. All those doors, and carpets. He shook his head. It's only temporary, nothing long term. Then back off to their normal lives. At least he hoped so.

The white hot burning pain that constantly stabbed him in the back of the head was unbearable when he was on board the TARDIS, and now that he was away from Her, it was worseneng. Granted, the Old Girl wasn't really helpful when it came to his ache, always pushing him to talk to Rose about it as soon as possible, but being confined to a small flat would most likely cause him to bang his head repeatedly against a wall.

Okay, that sounded terrible. He was making it sound like he was ashamed of even having it. Yes, it pained him to the point where he wanted to scream his head clean off, but he knew he needed to release it soon. If it worked out well, then he and Rose could have something special exceeding any human tradition. Once again, though, he wasn't sure if she could sustain a mental bond. He wanted to try, but he was scared about what the result would be.

Coming up to their residence for the next two weeks, the Doctor retrieved the sonic and unlocked the door, stepping inside. It was basic and a decent size. To be technical, it somewhat resembled Jackie's by ratio of size. Making his way over to one of the couches, he set the bag of food down on the small table and took a seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the purple folder.

While he was awaiting for the girls' return, he would hold off on eating and figured now was a good time to look over the important things.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

It took the girls about twenty minutes to find appropriate clothes to wear during their unfortunate stay, but still were successful in the end. They still had yet to look for any places hiring for available jobs. But as it's been a pretty long day for all of them, and tomorrow was another day to go out job searching.

Also another thing Rose didn't expect she'd be doing when she woke up this morning.

Martha took out her keys when they came up to their flat and unlocked the door. Surely the Doctor had to be back by now. Unless he was running across the town at every food place. Upon entering the smell of fish and chips hit their noses.

"Blimey, how long have you two been gone?" The Doctor commented from the couch. His glasses were perched on his nose as he was hunched over, his forearms rested on his knees as he studied the contents from the folder.

"Are you timing us again, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"No, was just wondering how two people can take so long to buy an outfit," he said casually.

"Unlike you, we wear more than _one_ outfit, Doctor. You're always in the same suit," Martha said, heading to her room.

He raised his head from his studying. "That's not true. I've got a whole wardrobe of clothes. And you've seen me in the blue suit, so I do change out of this one."

Rose snorted as she walked behind the couch. "Would you ever consider wearing things that're more…casual?" He looked over his shoulder at her and arched an eyebrow. "'M kiddin. You know I prefer your suit." He smiled and made the happy sound she loved so much.

Placing her bag in her room, she came back out to join the others in eating. Once they were finished, it was getting late and a nice rest would do all of them some good. Martha went to her room first, while Rose decided to stay with the Doctor for a little bit. She threw out their trash in the kitchen bin before returning to her seat beside him on the couch. She leaned forward and observed a group of photos. Taking them in her hands, she looked over them, furrowing her brows at the messages of _'Beware'_ written on the walls. None of it made any sense…yet. But it will soon enough.

"Quite a mystery this is turning out to be, eh?" she said, placing the photos back on the table.

The Doctor let out a sigh. "And it can only continue to do so." He threw the transcript down onto the table and rubbed his eye with a single finger underneath the rim of his glasses.

Rose patted his knee comfortingly. He's been hard at work all day long and it was only the first day. If they were supposed to be here for about two _weeks,_ like he estimated, then he'd continue to be this way. Maybe be even worse.

"Hey, it'll be okay," she said softly. "Before you know it, we'll be out of here and back in the TARDIS, yeah?"

"It can't come quick enough," he muttered.

Studying him, she hesitated before asking him gently. "What happened the last time? I mean, when you were stranded?" He took a deep breath and lowered his head to scratch the back of his neck. "'M sorry," she said quickly.

"No, no, it's fine," he assured, resting his hand over hers on his knee. Licking his lips, he pressed his tongue to the back of his upper row of teeth. "I wasn't too fond of the whole situation back then either, but…at least I had the TARDIS with me."

"Did She shut down like the time we got trapped in the parallel world?"

He snorted. "No, but it was just as bad."

He scrubbed a hand down his jaw. He wasn't one for going into detail with things of his past but with Rose, it felt…right. Of course what he was mentioning was nowhere _near_ as extreme as some of the other things he's dealt with.

"I did some…things back home that angered the wrong people, and as punishment I was forced to regenerate and sent here in exile confined to the present day—which at the time was 1969—and to stay there. Thankfully, my restriction was lifted," he gestured at himself. "Case in point. But back then, I was still allowed to operate the TARDIS, but they disabled Her and took away bits of my knowledge so I wouldn't be able to leave Earth."

"Oh, my _God,"_ Rose breathed out, squeezing his knee. How could his own people do such a thing? They actually sent him to _death._ She didn't know the details, but whatever he did was probably what he always did—save the universe. And they _killed_ him because of it. "How'd you cope?"

"By doing what I always do—helped others, met some new people, some of which became my companions, met some familiar faces…" he trailed off, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You had to be jittery, though."

"Oh, yes," he said with raised brows. "I may have been a different man back then, but that never changed."

She couldn't help but smile at him. Always the same man. "And you said you worked for UNIT?"

_"With_ UNIT," he corrected. "I was their scientific advisor."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, that suits you."

He smirked. "Wanna know the interesting bit? When I was first exiled here and affiliated with them, they were dealing with the Autons."

The name sounded familiar. "Wait," she said, turning her body to bring her legs up under her. "Weren't those the plastic men?" He nodded and she laughed. "That was _our_ first meeting." Oh, what a day that was—the day this wonderful mad man swept into her life when he was all his ears and leather.

"Do you technically still work with them even though you're not there?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Weeeell…technically I never resigned. I just…walked away from them. Only a few other times have I worked with them, but other than that…" he shook his head. "Still, if I were to keep making withdrawals from my account with them, they'll be able to detect me, and I _really_ don't want that."

"You jinxed yourself now," she joked, nudging his shoulder. "You'll bump into them again." He shook his head and snorted. "But hold on, if your other self is runnin' around here, wouldn't they just look for _him?"_

"Then they'd question him about it and only make things worse," he replied. "And I really hope I don't run into him…paradoxes and all that."

Rose nodded and rubbed her eyes. "Fair enough."

"You should sleep, Rose, you're probably exhausted," the Doctor told her softly.

"'M fine." She said, stifling a yawn…until it came out anyway. He raised his brows in a 'told you so' manner. "Shut up."

He chuckled and patted her hand. When she stood up to walk over to her room, she turned back to see him resuming his examinations of the folder contents. She walked back over to the couch. "You comin'?"

"I'll be with you shortly," he said.

She knew what that meant. "I know you're busy, but can you at least stay with me til I fall asleep?"

He raised his head, and nodded. "Of course."

Taking her hand, she led him to their bedroom. The Doctor didn't really have an opportunity to observe the entire flat as he went right to work going over the items in the folder. It was average sized with a large enough bed and a nightstand to the side. A wooden dresser was in the corner with a mirror and her bag of clothes was set on top of it.

"Hold on," he spoke up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the sonic and ran it along the sheets of the bed. "There we go," he said, pocketing it. "Fresh and clean."

Rose laughed. "Should I be concerned if you wind up sonicing every appliance in this flat?"

He sniffed. "I'll try to restrain myself," he said. Holding back from sonicing everything wasn't really what he was concerned about. He was more focused on figuring out how to get them out of here—as well as keep his nearly unattainable craving to bond with Rose at bay.

Toeing off his trainers and removing his jacket and tie,the Doctor lay beside Rose on the bed, one of his arms slinging around her waist. She only removed her shoes and jacket, leaving on her short sleeved top and jeans.

"You sure you're comfortable?" he asked when she settled down under the duvet, facing him as she nestled her face in his chest.

"Mmhm," she hummed.

Just being this close to her was making his head burn, and he shut his eyes tight as he fought the pain. But then he felt Rose tilt her head up to press a soft kiss to neck and his breath hitched. She didn't stop as she made her way to the corner of his jaw then gently nibbled on his earlobe. _Rassilon, he's hanging by that thin thread again._

Screwing his eyes shut tighter and fighting the burn, he choked out. "Rose…you should sleep."

She smiled against his skin before nudging his Adam's apple with her nose. Holding his breath, he took a chance and slightly pulled back to tilt his chin down to look down at her. Of course it was hard to resist her so, despite his aching mind, he leaned down to kiss her softly, his hand rising off of her waist to cup her cheek. What he was intending to be a brief kiss turned around when she nipped his lower lip before soothing the bite with her tongue. He groaned as he submitted to her proposal and allowed her entrance, and his head felt like it was about to explode.

It pained him both metaphorically _and_ literally speaking that he had to feel this way around her. If they were in the TARDIS right now, there would be no doubt that She'd start buzzing around in his head with her continuous demands to just give in to the bonding situation, and he would do the same thing he did every time—push it off.

And with that bit of control he still had intact, he gently broke the kiss though he felt like he was being stabbed in the back of the head with a poker.

She grinned widely at him, tempting him to claim her mouth again, but he arched a brow at her. "I'm not that tired," she said before letting out another yawn and he chuckled. "Shut up," she poked him in the chest.

He kissed her forehead. "Get some rest, Rose."

Within roughly five and a half minutes, she was fast asleep in his arms. Nuzzling her hair for a moment, he carefully slid his arm out from under her head, resting her down onto the pillow as he slowly rolled out of the bed. He fetched his jacket and trainers before leaving the room.

The Doctor made his way into the en suite and shut the door behind him, tossing his jacket on the sink and setting his trainers on the ground. Sitting himself on the toilet, he held his head in his hands as the pain eased up. Rubbing his temples he sighed and unbuttoned his Oxford. Very rarely did he feel himself overheat with his cooler body temperature, but whenever he was around Rose—more specifically when they snuggled in warm embraces or snogged each other's brains out—his undeniable need for her grew substantially. Of course she was the only one to give off such an effect on him.

Standing up he undressed himself as he decided to take a cold shower in an attempt to ease the burning pouring throughout this entire body, starting with his head. Damn ache. He was always perfectly fine with taking dry showers with a simple run down himself with the sonic, but once in a while an actual one would do him good.

When he finished up, he dried himself off with a nearby towel and grabbed the sonic, running it over his clothes before putting them back on. Exiting the en suite, he took his seat on the couch and went back to the puzzling contents of the folder.

Not only was this going to be a long night, it was going to be a long two _weeks._

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_Two weeks later_

Days passed by fairly quickly much to everyone's pleasure. Both Rose and Martha were able to get jobs at a nearby shop, and of course Rose made a joke about it considering she's quite familiar with being a shop girl. Though it wasn't thrilling this time around much like it wasn't years ago, it was only temporary. Progression was a good when in the middle of an unfortonate circumtance, but Rose noticed exactly how stressed out the Doctor has been over the past two weeks since being zapped in 1969.

While the girls worked at their jobs he's been couped up in the flat working out the whole Sally Sparrow/Weeping Angel/folder situation and with little to no success. Very rarely would he stay in bed with her if she wanted to knock off a few hours of rest, which was a little odd since sleep wasn't necessary for her now that she was genetically advanced, but after being transported here she's been exhausted. The Doctor may push his sleep cycle a lot more than her, but he needed a decent night's rest.

The problem was though he's been having nightmares ever since they've arrived here. He said without the TARDIS being around, he was susceptible to having them without Her calming hums. Rose assured him that he could always talk to her about them, but he insisted that he was fine and would just continue working.

When she came out of her room every morning, she saw him in his same position on the living room couch, glasses perched on his nose, hair all askew from running his hands through it constantly, his eyes bulging, and a dusting of a stubble gracing his face. In simpler terms, he looked like a definite mad man—a mad man _without_ his box, though. If he wasn't glued to the couch, he would run outside and take short walks before coming back inside and resuming his activities. They followed him one day and caught him head over to Wester Drumlins and vandalize the property by writing the phrases found on the photos with black ink.

Rose had said it as a joke, but he ended up sonicing various objects in the flat like she expected. He even took hold of the toaster and telephone and attached them together along with some duct tape, wires and other small items and turned it into some kind of device. He said it could pick up energy readings from the Weeping Angels. She was amazed, not by much, that the gadget he created had another property as it also boiled eggs. On one of their first days since arriving here, they went with him as he walked past a farm with the device—and accidentally blew up some hens.

Channeling his inner MacGyver.

Both Rose and Martha kept a close eye on him. The last thing they needed was for him to slip into some kind of depressed state. Some days, Rose didn't even want to leave him alone all that time with nothing to do but wear himself out. She just hoped that this whole thing would end because he's been freaking out so much that he's isolated himself from her again.

"What're we gonna do with him?" Martha asked during their break.

Rose picked at her nails and shook her head. "I hate seeing him like this. He needs to get out."

"Definitely. I heard one of the customers mention something about a funfair that arrived a few days ago," Martha suggested.

"Yeah? Sounds good. I think there's a dancing club a few blocks away from here, too." Hopefully it could turn the Doctor's mood around and take his mind off of the stress.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor was at a loss. Days it's been. _Days._ Bordering on two weeks since they've been stranded on Earth and the situation hasn't changed much. He's studied everything from the folder, back to front, over and over again. He knows he has to find this Billy bloke. He's read through the transcript and knew that he had to create a digital recorder and an autocue so he can do his part of the conversation and send it to Sally Sparrow and some Larry Nightingale. _Coincidental bird names?_ This was all easier said than done given the available resources in this time period, where such items were beginning to come into fruition. And shamefully and completely not to his good, he wasn't carrying any of the required parts in his pockets.

Wonderful.

As if the struggle to work all of that out, he's shamefully detached himself from the girls—especially Rose. Much as he needed to be near her, the pain in his head only worsened, forcing him to distance himself. Though he would fight through it just to be able to taste her kiss and hold her in his arms, at this point he felt like banging his head against the table. Neither of the girls deserved this. But he was doing all he could to get them the hell out of this place and back to the TARDIS. If they had access to the Old Girl, this would all be so much easier and he'd have all the resources he would need, but alas those nasty buggers were trying to get their hands on it in the present day. This was definitely starting to get worse than when he was exiled here so long ago.

He heard the door open and both girls enter. "Doctor," Martha called out. "We've gotta nice surprise for you."

"Brilliant," he said distractedly as he fiddled with his timey-wimey detector.

Rose moved to the back of the couch and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Doctor, please take a break," she told him. "You haven't moved in two weeks, you need to get out for a little bit."

"I've been out," he defended, holding up his device. "I go out every day—"

"No, I mean you need to get your head out of that folder for a few hours."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and made an irritated noise. "Rose, I know you mean well, but I'm busy trying to figure out how to communicate with this Billy bloke…" he lifted up the transcript before throwing it down on the table out of frustration.

She came around to stand in front of him before crouching down and taking his face in her hands. "Hey," she said softly. "I know you're working your hardest, but all we're asking for is a few hours away from this…mess." She gently rubbed his in growing scruff. "You're not looking well because of it. Please do this for us, Doctor. For _me."_

He closed his eyes and sighed. As much as he'd rather spend time tackling with the folder contents, a break probably would do him some good. Poor Rose and Martha have been patient with him these past two weeks. It was the least he could do for them until they get out of here.

He nodded and Rose patted his cheek. "Thanks. Get yourself fixed up, and," she gestured at his face, "you'll wanna shave. You'll like what we have in mind."

She smiled and he smirked at her before getting up and heading into the en suite. Shutting the door, he stood by the sink and saw his reflection for the first time in two weeks. Blimey, he _did_ look horrible. Dark circles were under his eyes, which were slightly bloodshot, and the stubble on his face turned into manly scruff to the point where his sideburns were almost unnoticeable. How could he have let himself get like this? And the girls were cautious with him throughout these weeks. They were right, maybe a few hours would help him out.

Ten minutes later, the Doctor was met with the pleasing reflection of his baby faced complexion once again. Exiting the en suite Rose smiled warmly at him as she came over to him and patted his clean shaven face.

"There's my Doctor," she said before raising herself up to kiss him.

At contact the strong wave of agony rushed through his mind, increasing his craving. Like every other time, he submitted and pulled her close with his hands rested on her hips. She broke the kiss the moment he absent mindedly began to slide his hands lower. Shaking himself off, he cleared his throat as the women took him out. His hunger to bond with her was rising to the point where he could barely contain it. Still, he held himself back as hard as he could.

He was going to work through it all, even if it was going to break him.

The first place the girls took the Doctor to was the funfair, and for once in a long while he looked to be at peace. They played various games and went on a bunch of rides. They even bought cotton candy, which he happily ate like a little kid.

After about two hours, they went to a nearby club for dancing. Martha didn't mind sitting by the bar while Rose took the Doctor's hand and led him to the dance floor. _'Sugar, Sugar'_ was being played and the Doctor inwardly chuckled as it was pretty relatable to his craving. Moving with Rose to the song was peaceful indeed, but his head was pounding so hard with his hearts beating so rapidly he could barely hear the song anymore. Still fighting the burn, he dipped her a few times and smiled when she giggled.

It felt normal, while nerve racking at the same time.

It was getting late and the girls were getting tired, so they headed back to their flat. "Just watching you two dance all night has made me tired," Martha joked when they entered.

"Shame you didn't wanna join us on the dance floor," Rose said.

Martha shrugged. "It's not a problem. It was nice to see the Doctor back on his feet."

He nodded. "Yeah, thanks girls." He let go of Rose's hand and made his way to his spot on the couch, which was caving in from him sitting in it day in and day out. "Well, I'll get right back to work, then. Night ladies."

Rose exchanged a look with Martha before the latter patted her arm then left to go to her room. It was nice to see the Doctor back to his old chipper self for about five hours, but now he was back to his starting point. She hated seeing him act this way. He needed to relax a little more.

Moving to the couch, she sat beside him just as he pulled out his specs. "Did you have fun tonight?" she asked him.

The Doctor nodded as he lifted a piece of paper. "Yes. Thanks for that." She studied him for a moment before raising a hand to take the paper out of his hands then removed his glasses from his nose, placing them on the table. He stared at her for a moment, a confused expression on his face. "Rose?"

"Doctor, please," she said softly, bringing a hand up to his cheek. "Take a break from all of this."

"Rose, I just spent five hours away from these," he gestured at the folder and the papers sprawled out on the table. "I had a break, but now I have to get back to work."

"You gotta relax," she stressed. "You're driving yourself mad—"

"I know," he cut in sharply before speaking rapidly. "But if I don't solve this puzzle, we'll end up stuck here even longer, and that's the last thing that I want at the moment. Bad enough it's been two weeks, I can't even take two more _minutes!"_ He took a deep breath. "How did I do this? Theoretically speaking, I've already _done_ this, but how?" He shook his head, feeling his temples ache the more Rose sat next to him. "I don't…" he said quietly, closing his eyes. "I dunno what to do, Rose. I need…" he trailed off.

Rose gently ran the backs of her fingers down his sideburn. "What, Doctor? What d'you need?"

_You._ He had to tell her. How exactly could he bring this up?

Opening his eyes, he saw her own softening, which applied more pain to the back of his head and caused his insides to shake uncontrollably. Since regenerating into his current body, he's noted how much more tactile he's become just by a simple touch. And just being around Rose constantly after accepting themselves as a couple all he wanted was her. No…he _needed_ her.

Call it impulsive or an inclination, but that thread he's been hanging on snapped.

Ignoring the ache he raised a hand to the back of her head and pulled her in for a fierce kiss, muffling her quiet squeal of surprise. It took her a moment to register what was going on until she reciprocated, her hands tangling in his hair. He growled as he nipped her lower lip prompting her to open up for him. The beautiful sound of her moan came to his ears when his tongue met hers and he loved it every time he heard it. She shifted until she came to sit upon his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tightly. His eyes were screwed shut as the throbbing in the back of his mind grew to feel like drums pounding in synchronicity at the base of his skull.

He tried his hardest to fight the pain, as well as think rationally to realize what he was doing. The burn was driving him mad to bond with her, and while he was restraining the urge to form the link when he didn't even _talk _to her about it yet, his craving for her was making him dizzy and unable to think properly.

Rose wasn't expecting such intensity to catch her off guard but she accepted it all the same. Over the past two weeks since being stranded, he's been isolating himself from everything and even before all of this when they've returned to their old ways of kissing and cuddling, nothing seemed this…desperate. But she asked him what he needed and this must have been what he was referring to—the big step. If so, then she'll be happy to give it to him.

Moving off of his lap, she knelt beside him without breaking the kiss. Dropping her hands from his hair, she grabbed a hold of his lapels and pulled him down with her as she rested her back on the cushions of the couch. A low hum came from the back of his throat when he landed on top of her. His hands went up along her sides before sliding one of them down her thigh, making her breath hitch. She crossed her ankles over his calves, trapping him as he propped himself up on his forearms. Somehow Rose managed to break the kiss when breathing became a need.

If he was in his right mind, the Doctor would've taken that as his chance to stop himself from losing any more control—or what was left of it—but his mind was racing and burning so much he couldn't form a proper thought. Her nails scratched his scalp when he began to kiss his way down her neck to her clavicle, his teeth lightly grazing her skin while one of his hands peeked under her shirt to trace circles over her ribs. Behind his eyes was a blurry white light that was tearing a hole through his head, the stabbing pain increasing more and more. Growling, he lifted his head and claimed her lips again in a bruising manner.

A small bit of sanity was still intact despite the dizzying whirlwind his mind was currently stuck in. This was wrong, so, so _wrong._ He was a _Time Lord._ He had better control than this. But then again, Rose gave off a certain effect that made him forego any doubts and fears and drove him mad in a good sense. He's held back before the start of their relationship and even during. Maybe he could let himself go. Maybe it was the time. No, this wasn't how he wanted it to happen. Apparently his body had other plans.

Out of sheer impulse, the hand he was using to caress the skin of her side lifted itself up on its own accord, moving up to Rose's head. He felt his fingers land on her temple—then felt her recoil at his touch, bringing him out of the dizzying state he was lost in.

Rose broke the kiss with a gasp the second she felt the Doctor's fingertips on her temple, causing a quick flash. She widened her eyes and saw the dazed look on his face. Did he even know what he was doing? She was warily when things entered her mind. That was a bit shocking to feel, but…it was different. And she trusted him. If that was what he wanted, maybe she was ready for it.

The Doctor stopped breathing altogether when she backed away. Though he wasn't intending to create the bond without her consent, he couldn't stop his instincts from trying. Now he ruined everything, and now she'll hate him for doing such a thing.

"I-I'm sorry…" he breathed out with a shake of his head. "I-I—" He moved off of her and stood by the couch.

"Doctor—"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he responded quickly as he made his way out the front door, leaving Rose alone.

* * *

***nervous laugh* Please don't hurt me, I'm fragile! *hides away* No worries! It leads into something, I promise!**

**Response to _Candy thy Cutie (from chapter 36):_ Well, I can go either way, if that helps. Love you too!**** *muah* **

**Response to _Random fangirl:_ Oh my crazy, insane fangirl, how I love you so! Thank you so much! Of course Disney is awesome, you're _never_ too old for it!**

**Response to _newboy:_ Are you psychic? 'Cause you always know what's coming up in my next chapters :D *special high five***

**Response to the _Guest reviewer_ from the previous chapter: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying this ;)**


	43. Clarity

**A/N: Oh, the responses I've gotten for the previous chapter. ****Relax my lovelies, it's all gonna be okay, I promise. ****Anyways much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! I adore you all ;D **

* * *

_**Chapter 43: Clarity**_

It took Rose about a minute to realize what had just happened, or at least be able to get up from where she lay on the couch. She pushed herself up to a seated position and brought her knees up to her chest. What was wrong with her? She was giving off the impression that she was needy and desperate. That wasn't what she wanted to appear to be. She just wanted to give him what he needed. Unless…he wasn't expecting it to go _that_ far? She shook her head. It didn't matter because she pushed him too far.

Yet again, she pushed the limits and initiated something more, possibly something he wasn't ready for himself. But, just like last time, he seemed to be enjoying it. In fact, _he_ was the one who started it off. She just went along with it as she believed it was what he needed at the moment.

Ever since being stranded, he's kept himself at arm's length from herself and Martha—but mainly _herself._ Only on the first day did he lay beside her on their bed until she fell asleep, but that was the only time. He's been refusing to lay down and try to get some rest. Just because he was a Time Lord didn't mean he didn't get tired. Those dark circles underneath his eyes were evidence enough to visibly prove that he was exhausted. Despite that he continued working out how to communicate with Sally Sparrow and Billy Nightingale with no sleep.

She and Martha took him out and away from the stress for a little while, and he looked to be back to his usual self. But it didn't last as he went straight into the folder again. All she wanted was for him to just relax. He said he didn't know what to do, and she asked him what he needed.

His response was clear when he pulled her in for an intense snog. But it was way more than just that. He really _needed_ her. And she actually believed they finally made it to that point in their relationship. Hell, she's waited long _enough._

For the first time since they've accepted themselves as a couple the Doctor attempted to go inside her mind. On one occasion did he try to do such a thing and that was after the whole Cassandra incident where that bitchy trampoline possessed her. That was a feeling she'd hated with a passion and hoped to never relive ever again. The Doctor told her that he could check her out to see if anything was damaged or tampered with, but she assured him that she was alright and he refrained.

What just happened now, though, was completely different.

That's probably why they never even got to that stage yet. With him being a Time Lord, things like…that…must have been done differently, and he was hesitant to try it with her. Oh, it all makes sense now. All of those times that they could have taken it that far but never did. He must have remembered how much she disliked the feeling of someone or something running around in her head. But she trusted him. What more would it take for him to believe her? She supposed if they had reached that peak of their relationship that would seal the deal.

If only the TARDIS was here to soothe her mind. Standing from the couch, she made her way to the back door to stay on the balcony to stare at the starry night sky.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

He went too far. Rassilon, what was wrong with him?

The Doctor wandered around the town for a short while until coming back to the flat. He stood at the entrance with his forehead pressed against the door and his eyes closed. The throbbing ache that spread across the entirety of his skull had eased up, but the burning sensation was still present. It always would be there no matter what he did or how much he tried to brush it aside. Much like the intense craving that's overwhelmed him.

Usually he could keep himself under control, but it increased to the point where he would drown in the hysteria. He could only imagine what it would've felt like if he had initiated the bond. Thankfully he didn't. What he had done was exactly what he was trying _not_ to do. Oddly enough, he was glad the TARDIS wasn't around to witness that. If so, he was in for the worst possible screeches he'd ever hear. But, once again, he had no control over his body. The moment his fingers came into contact with her temple, she immediately recoiled as if she had been burned.

Ironically, _he_ was the one burning.

Save that, her reaction was one he was expecting but also one that pained him. Though he was leading into the process absent mindedly and without even mentioning his dilemma to see if she allowed him permission, the touch shocked her. For a second, he felt both of his hearts break a little. Yes, he may not have been capable of creating a proper thought throughout the whole…activity…but by the way she looked at him the fear was visible in her eyes.

Rose was never keen on anything coming anywhere near her mind, especially after Cassandra took over her body that time, but he thought that if he were to just try and see if a telepathic link could be a possibility between them, then some of the pressure weighing down on him would lift, even if it was just a little. But he saw it as clear as day. He had made her feel uncomfortable and frightened her by catching her off guard. Brilliant move on his part. What he did was immoral and all sorts of wrong. Now she would hate him for sure, and she didn't even see anything.

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor stepped inside the flat and went straight for the en suite.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha woke up out of her sleep with a stomach ache. Maybe eating cotton candy and pretzels wasn't the best idea. With her being a doctor—sort of—she should've known better. But things happen when you're out having fun with your friends during an unusual situation.

Swinging her legs out of the bed, she made her way to the kitchen to make some tea. When she made it out of her room, she noticed neither the Doctor or Rose were in the living room. Had they gone to bed together? Rose said she was hoping to get him to sleep since he's refused to lay down for even a minute. Maybe she succeeded. But as she passed their room, the door was wide open and unoccupied.

That was odd. She checked the guest room and found the same thing. It was strangely quiet. Usually she would hear the Doctor fiddling with papers and his handmade detector as he tried to remain as quiet as possible. She didn't even hear him muttering indistinguishable phrases. Did they go back outside? No, that didn't seem right. But then again anything was possible with those two.

The sound of someone scuffing their feet across the ground got Martha's attention. It was coming from the back door leading to the balcony. Looking out the window, she saw Rose by herself leaning against the railing as she gazed at the sky above. Where was the Doctor? Judging by the expression on her face, something must have happened. _Oh, no._ Did they have another row and distance themselves _again?_

She hoped that wasn't the issue. Having to deal with that again would most likely drive her up a wall. Bad enough she bit her tongue to scream at the both of them for refusing to work things out. Now they could be falling backwards after coming forwards. How could it have happened, though? When she left them, they looked fine. The Doctor went right back to his spot on the couch and began his work then Rose stayed with him.

She didn't know the details, but she wasn't about to let those two go back to their old ways. Martha knew she couldn't give up her title as a mediator so soon, and right now she was about to use it. Now she was getting involved. _Again._ She may not have the TARDIS to help her, but she could manage. At least she could start with Rose. She was always easier to find than the Doctor, and usually easier to talk to. Usually.

Coming to stand beside her at the railing, Martha decided to begin with light conversation and ease her way into the issue. "Beautiful night," she commented.

Rose nodded, keeping her eyes forward. "Yeah." She paused. "I know why you're here, Martha."

"Then you should be ready to hear me out," Martha said calmly. "What happened between you two?"

Rose sighed and shook her head. "'M not even entirely sure. I told him that he should relax and he went on saying he wanted to keep working so we could leave as soon as possible. Then he said he needed something. And when I asked him what…he just snogged me."

Martha arched an eyebrow. "So…how was that a bad thing?"

"It wasn't. It was the first time he's done it since we got here, and I was happy that he finally came out of his depressed state." She paused again. "But he seemed…desperate. Like he really needed me, but he still felt like he was holding back…in a way. I may have pushed him again when he wasn't ready, but this time I was the one who backed away for a split second. "

Not this again_._ Didn't he tell her about the bonding thing? Reaching over, she placed a hand on Rose's arm. "Rose—"

"And now he doesn't wanna be anywhere near me. I'm such an idiot, I dunno what the hell's the matter with me, I just…" she raised a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes. "I don't know what happened. He shocked me and…" she shook her head.

Seeing her friend like this made her sympathize. Oddly enough, she felt that way to the Doctor as well but if he kept doing this to Rose, then she might give him a good smack upside the head for continuously backing away. This probably had to do with the bond he told her about, but Martha wasn't going to bring that up. The Doctor could tell Rose about it himself if he hadn't already. Which she thought he did since she told them to work things out, and that qualified as something to talk about.

"You did nothing wrong, you just missed him," she said gently, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "It's understandable. Ever since we got stuck here, he hasn't been himself. You just wanna go back to the way things were. But that doesn't mean you have to blame yourself for his behavior. He's just…" What word could she say?

"Stressed? Scared?" Rose supplied. "I know he is. The closer we get, the more afraid he is. But…he started with it, and I went along with it until…" she shook her head as she trailed off. "We were just coming back around, and now I ruined everything."

"No, you didn't," Martha assured. "Whatever happened wasn't your fault." Rose gave a humorless chuckle. "Stop downing yourself," she said firmly. "You've finally made up and now you think you went back to square one again. There may be some other things that you and him need to work out, but just talk to him."

"Won't be that simple, he's just gonna pretend it never happened and just run away from the problem. It's what he does."

"He won't have anywhere to go without the TARDIS around."

Rose snorted then groaned. "Oh, God. 'S like some bleedin' soap opera on telly, so much drama."

Martha inwardly snorted. _What a television program this would've been. _She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to make jokes. She needed to bring these two out of this funk that they were out of for a week, then somehow found once again.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Rose," she told her. "He'll come around."

Rose let out another sigh and nodded. As much as she wanted to stay and comfort her, the one person who really needed to talk to her was about to get smacked.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Leaving Rose on the balcony, Martha made her way back inside in search for the Doctor. That stupid, bloody alien. She threw them in a room which the TARDIS locked up so they wouldn't run away from patching things up, and possibly the one thing he had yet to tell her was still kept to himself. But she was determined to get him to release it. She wasn't about to live through a depressing environment once again. Not when everything was just returning to normal—minus the fact that they were stranded in 1969 without the TARDIS. But she wasn't having any of this. She wasn't going to be as kind as the last time to him.

Entering the room, she found the Doctor had returned from wherever he ran off to and seated on the couch in his usual spot as he fiddled with the device he made out of the toaster, his glasses perched on his nose.

"Doctor, what're you doing?" Martha asked as she came over to him.

"Fixing the red setting," he replied casually, keeping his eyes focused on his work.

"No, I mean what're you doing with _Rose,"_ she clarified.

He stilled his movements and closed his eyes. "Martha—"

"Don't try that on me," she warned. "Why the hell are you in here fixing some silly contraption when you _should_ be fixing things between you and Rose?"

"Martha, I've told you before—" he said in an irritable tone.

She cut him off when she smacked the contraption out of his hands, letting it drop to the floor with a bang. "Tough," she told him. "I'm sick and tired of seeing the two of you mope around and distance yourselves from each other…again. What'd you do this time?"

The Doctor stared at her pointedly as he stood from his seat. "Whatever happens between us is none of your business nor your concern," he ground out. "So I'd appreciate it if you kept your input to yourself."

"Oh, yeah?" Martha said, crossing her arms. "Too bad, 'cause you're gonna hear it anyway. Why do you keep pushing her away?"

"I didn't push her away—"

"Yes you did!" She said loudly. "You just got back together after two long and bitter months, and then you just ran away from her with no explanation. Why do you keep doing this to her?"

He raised his brows. "You think I _mean_ to? You think I _enjoy_ hurting her?" He said with seriousness before shouting angrily. "'Cause I _don__'t!"_

"But things were going good between you two!" she shouted back. "You finally got out of this funk you've been in since we've got here, and had fun with her. For the first time in two weeks, you two were the happiest you've been. What happened?" He inhaled a shaky breath and scratched the back of his neck. "Didn't you talk to her about the bonding?" she asked with a calmer voice.

"I…no," he admitted quietly, staring at his trainers. "Not yet."

She should've known. "What're you waiting for? For her to make _guesses?"_

He shook his head. "It's…not that simple."

Martha let out a sigh. "Yes, I know, you've said that before. But you know she listens to you and helps you whenever you're…brooding."

"I'm aware of that…but you don't understand. This isn't something to just waltz right into," he told her.

"Doctor, she's been with you for almost _three_ years," she said. "I think you're past the whole…waltzing thing."

He tugged on his earlobe. "Maybe, but what I want with her could exceed anything humans could handle."

"But Rose isn't human…at least _fully,"_ Martha reminded.

"Rose isn't a telepath," he said. "And although she's more than an average human, whether or not she's even capable of containing a bond is unknown."

"Then why don't you try? You've thought about it, but haven't done it yet."

The Doctor noticeably swallowed hard. "I almost _did,"_ he said shamefully. "But…when I tried to, it was out of impulse and for my own selfish needs that I didn't comprehend what I was doing, and I…scared her. I didn't even talk to her about it."

"How do you mean selfish?" Martha asked softly.

He scrubbed a hand down his face as he explained. "Well…remember when I said that there were no words that could justify how I feel about her?" She nodded. "The thing is…the bond is so powerful that once it's created, all emotions and thoughts can easily be transferred and poured out into the other. Ever since we've…become a couple…there's been this itching feeling in the back of mind urging me to bond with her. Up until recently I've been brushing it aside, but because I haven't initiated it yet, it's grown into an irritation—worse than a burning and pounding migraine that won't go away. It's so strong that it's no longer a want but a _need. _Like a craving. I was able to handle it for a while, only now it's far beyond my control.

"Even the TARDIS couldn't help it." He let out a humorless chuckle. "Not that She would _anyway_ since She's been urging me to form it since it started. She's always been fond of Rose since the beginning. Even if She was here, She would only yell at me more. I wouldn't be surprised if She locked me in a room with her - though you and Her planned it the first time, I'm shocked She hasn't went that far sooner."

Martha furrowed her brows. "So…all this time you could've done it, but you kept pushing it off. Why?"

"Beacuse the moment I try it, she'll see everything, Martha," he said. _"Everything._ All of the things I've done. Every secret that I've kept hidden away that I never wanted to come out or be seen, every regret that I've kept lodged inside, every event that caused me unbearable pain. She would see it all…and it hurts. No one should feel the weight of the burdens I carry 'cause no one else can bear it."

"But you've suffered with it by yourself and you don't have to anymore now that you've got Rose," she stressed.

"Yes, but this bond is _permanent._ It lasts forever like ourselves, until one of us…dies," he added quietly. "In that time, she'd have to live with all of the things I never wanted her to see…things I know she'll resent me for, and she could never go back."

Martha's brows shot up. _That's a whole new level of 'til death do we part'._

"So _that's_ why you haven't talked to her about it? Because you think that once she saw everything you've ever done in the past, she'll hate you and would have to live with them forever with no chance of leaving?" He nodded glumly. "Doctor, what I'm about to say to you is out of honesty, and I want you to know that I do this because you're my friend."

He raised his head and arched an eyebrow. "Okay…"

_Whack._ She hit him in the back of the head, causing his glasses to fall off of his face and to the floor.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the spot. "My head hurts enough, you know."

Martha scoffed. "Too bad. You're the cause of both pains."

"What was that for?"

"'Cause you're an _idiot!_ God, you've gotta be the _stupidest genius_ in the whole universe!"

He shook his head. "I don't—"

"No, you need to hear this," she interrupted. "Rose is able to live forever, to live as long as you, has told you time and time again that she loves you more than _anything_ in the world, has lost everyone she's ever cared about just to be with you and promised to _never_ leave you. What more will it take for you to open your eyes and see just what you mean to her?"

"I know, but—"

"You've _pushed_ her away countless times, you've _broken_ her _heart _another few times, you've _pissed_ her off on more than one occasion. There's been quite a few chances for her to actually leave you, and where is she, Doctor? She's still _here!_ And don't say that she has nowhere else to go 'cause that's not the reason why she's staying with you. She's staying with you because she _loves_ you! She came back to you when you sent her away—_twice_—and became the Bad Wolf so she could protect you when you're in danger. She defends you with every opportunity she has and praises you. You say that you believe her and _in_ her, then why can't you prove it?"

"I…but—"

"She knows about the War, right?"

"Well…yeah—"

"She knows about the blood you have on your hands as a result because of it, she knows you did what you had to in order to save yourself and the universe, and she _still_ loves you. She told me about your trip to Noel before, the place where you both confessed your feelings for each other. And even then she was the same when you both made that promise."

"But once she _sees_—"

"Rose would never _hate_ you, Doctor," Martha said gently. "She's dealt with a lot of things, but she could never resent you for _anything._ She's always the one that helps you and makes you better…then let her in all the way. Facing all of that pain by yourself is keeping you from doing what you want to do and what you want with Rose."

He gulped. "What if she…what if it's too much for her to handle? What if I hurt her in the worst possible way?"

She reached over and placed a hand on his forearm. "It's okay to be scared. Just tell her how you really feel. Let her show you exactly why she loves you and what she's capable of doing. I know how much you care about Rose and love her deeply, Doctor, but what you're doing right now isn't helping either of you."

"I know," he said quietly.

"Then just let her in. I guarantee she won't run away…and neither will you."

An ancient look crossed his eyes and Martha could see reasoning behind his reluctance. When she first met Rose and the Doctor they never said anything about themselves, mainly anything personal and she understood why. But with him, she could see why he's been holding himself off. Judging by his explanations of the whole bonding process, he would be putting himself in the most vulnerable position with Rose. She had said that he wasn't the type to get too close to people, and Martha knew why. Taking a deep breath, the Doctor scrubbed both hands down his face before bending down to retrieve his glasses. Folding them up, he placed them back in his jacket pocket.

"Where is she?"

Martha nodded her head to the back door leading to the balcony. He went to leave but she stopped him with a hand to his arm. "Don't make me have to hose you down."

He gave a faint smirk. "You won't have to," he said softly then left.

Watching him leave, Martha smiled as she went to the kitchen to make some tea. She was thinking about making enough for the three of them, but if the situation was going the way she was hoping, she thought it over. She'll only make a cuppa for herself, and might just get some sleep. Hopefully, if everything goes right, her friends won't be too noisy. But just in case, she was going into the guest room not connected to their room.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

His footsteps were heavy as the Doctor felt the pressuring weight push down hard on his chest as he made his way to tell Rose about…everything. Driven by his fears and eagerness he almost completely forgot to ask Martha where he could find her. She informed him that she was on the balcony.

That wasn't surprising. Usually whenever Rose felt distressed or upset, she would find peace in the replicated place that used to be her home back on the TARDIS. Since they were unfortunately without his beautiful ship, having access to seeing the actual night sky must feel serene for her right now. And of course he had upset her. Every day he seemed to hurt her in some other way.

Even now he could feel his head begin to pound at the possible outcomes that would result out of this. He was going to admit to her that he's wanted to bond with her for a while, and where it would go from there were a handful of instances. For one, on the positive side and best case scenario, she could accept him as he was and basically commit herself fully to him to be his bonded mate for the entirety of their lives. And then there was the worst possible scenario being that her mind could very well burn despite having advanced human genetics which were only biological, or that she would resent him until the end of Time itself for all of the things he's done.

He hated looking over the many possibilities, but as both were frightening enough, he was going for outcome number one. For a long shot.

What he wanted was something he thought he'd never have. He didn't even feel this way about his wife back on Gallifrey, which was sad, but true all the same. It wasn't all his fault as that was an arranged marriage for political and genetic manipulation, but besides all of that he never truly loved his wife. Definitely nowhere _near_ the way he loved Rose. Such strong expressive feelings were taboo and not to be shown to another person, much less a _human._

Well, he _was_ always a rebel, and the love he felt for Rose was like the sweetest sin.

Still, he had his fears about how exactly this whole process would pan out. He knew how sensitive Rose was when things tried to invade her mind. But…that wouldn't be what he would do, and he wasn't doing it without her permission. Though he attempted to do just that out of instinct and impulse—which he will always beat himself over no matter the outcome of this talk—he would _never_ force himself in her mind against her wishes. He would be gentle with her and take away any of her fears—just as she would do for him.

Hopefully, though, he wouldn't pressure her into going through with it just because he wanted—no, _needed_—to create it. Or at least _try_ with her.

Finally the Doctor came up to the back door of the flat, opening it slowly. Sure enough Rose was standing by the railing gazing out across the horizon and up at the stars dotting the beautiful black sky as a moon shone in the distance, a light breeze blowing past their hair.

"Nice night, eh?" he commented softly from the doorway.

"I used to love staring out of my window to look up at the sky at night when I was little," she said, her attention still ahead. "'S been awhile since I've done it like this."

The Doctor inclined his head as he admired the view. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure."

Walking over to stand beside her, he leaned his forearms on the railing. "Rose…we need to talk," he said, ducking his head.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she said in a quiet voice.

His eyes widened as he turned to face her. "Wait, _what?_ Why are _you _sorry?"

Rose shook her head. "I mean…I just…I thought we were…"

"No, Rose. _You_ did nothing wrong, it was…me. I…" he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, how can I start this? Rose…I have something to tell you."

She shifted to lean one elbow on the railing, waiting for him to talk. His nerves were shaking and his mind was throbbing, causing him to close his eyes for a moment. He felt her place a hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and worked up the courage to speak. "I have this…itch. Well, it's more than an itch now, it's a burn. Well, it's more than that-"

"Doctor," she cut in gently. "What d'you mean?"

_Oh, how to say this simply_. "Well…you know how Time Lords are telepathic?" She nodded, encouraging him to continue. "The thing is…"

And then he explained the whole thing to her as calm and steady as he could, holding her hand gently in his as he told her _everything._ From the very beginning of it all when the itch appeared at the back of his mind at Noel when they kissed passionately for the first time underneath the magical mistletoe, to how much it grew over the last number of months to the point where it became an irritation, and to how much it increased his need to connect with her in a way he never thought would be possible for them, but also led to the desperate craving he longed for.

Rose listened intently to the Doctor's explanation of what's been going on with him. She knew there was a lot more that needed to be settled and worked out between them, but she honestly wasn't expecting something like _that._ But then again complications were always finding their way into their lives. While she was glad that he was discussing his problems, she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. All this time he's been keeping this bonding thing a secret and never once tried to tell her about it. Going by the sounds of it, what he wanted was the Time Lord equivalent of _marriage._ And if he's been holding this back for so long…

Now it made sense. When John had admitted that he was going to ask her to marry him, they weren't just _his_ feelings. They _were_ the Doctor's. Truly _his._ But he never wanted to tell her and chose to keep it all locked away, putting himself through even more pain stoically. He's been breaking inside all because of _her._

"So…this _whole_ time," she began after a moment. "You've been keeping this to yourself?"

The Doctor nodded. "I didn't know exactly how to bring it up, but…as the feeling intensified, I figured now was the appropriate time to talk about it."

"You've been…_suffering_ with this ever since…we accepted our relationship," she said, the hurt in her voice visible until it turned to irritation. "And you _never_ wanted to tell me?"

"No, Rose, I've been meaning to say something sooner, but…" he scratched the back of his head. "I didn't wanna upset you."

"Oh, my God," she breathed out. "_I'm_ the reason why you've been in pain."

He shook his head. "No, don't think like that—"

"How can I not?" She retorted, running a hand through her hair. "You've had this…ache…since Noel, and then it got worse to the point where just being around me is splittin' your head apart."

"That's not it…not at first," the Doctor stressed. "It started out as an itch, which wasn't too bad, and then it became an ache. Only when we were…more passionate than usual, and somewhat…intimate…did it come over me. Remember the night I had that headache, after the whole Lazarus situation? That's when it started getting worse. I tried to ask the TARDIS for help, but all She kept doing was scold me for not talking to you about it and demanded that I do it as soon as possible." He shrugged a shoulder. "And…since She's not here with us at the moment…"

"It's gotten impossibly worse," Rose finished. He nodded glumly and she shook her head. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked quietly.

"Because…I'm afraid," he admitted. "Afraid of what could come out of this if I tried. I don't…" he closed his eyes for a second. "I don't wanna hurt you again," he said shamefully.

"But, Doctor, you know you could always tell me if something's bothering you," she said, placing a hand on the side of his face. "Whatever it is, I'm _always_ here when you need me." Something had occurred to her as the scene from the living room came back. "You were about to tell me earlier, weren't you? When you said you needed something. Right before…" He hesitantly nodded, keeping his gaze down. "If you were in that much pain, though, you didn't back off of me…right away. And you moved first."

The Doctor sighed through his nose. "I fought it as best that I could. My focus was solely on you and not the ache but…I couldn't control myself. The urge to bond with you was so strong that I…acted on impulse rather than rational thought. I wasn't intending to try and initiate it without your consent. I'd never forgive myself for doing something so…" he trailed off.

She remembered the mixed expression of shock and hurt on his face after she recoiled at his touch. Deep down she had a feeling he was unaware of what he was doing in the midst of passion. Desperate as he appeared to be, the pain must have been the worst it's ever been.

"But I thought…" Rose spoke up. "I thought that I—"

"You did nothing wrong, Rose," he assured, reaching for her hand cupping his cheek and holding both of them in his. "It was _me."_ He lowered his gaze and let out a mirthless chuckle. "It's _always_ me."

That was always the case, wasn't it? He would muck everything up and Rose would think that _she_ was the one at fault when it was _his._ It was always him. It's no wonder why relationships were out of his league.

"So…is there a chance that we could have that?" Rose asked.

The Doctor held his breath. "I'm not sure."

"I mean, I'm not fully human anymore, and…the TARDIS kept saying I was ready for you…I always figured She was referring to us being more…physical."

Of course She would. She's shown exactly how all for the gesture She was, so that was a given. "As much as those advances are manageable for you to do so much more, they're only biological changes," he said regrettably. "I don't know if—" _Wait a minute…what did she say?_ "What'd you say?" he asked quickly.

"What?"

He replayed her words in his head. Did he hear her right, or was his aching mind messing with him to give him hope? "Rose…you _talked_ to the TARDIS? No one can do that except for me."

She shrugged. "Well…it's not much like _talking,_ but she sorta just whispers in my ears sometimes…and I could've sworn I heard them when I would sleep. Jus' this soft…voice. Really, it just sounds like a song. Like when I go to sleep, this calm and beautiful song comes in my ears. And sometimes she'd show me images…like small reels."

He blinked a few times. Was this true? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I dunno. I didn't think it was important," she said truthfully. "It didn't really start until after Noel. I mean…I've always talked to Her, but She'd always hum back. Then I was able to hear a voice, so I assumed it was only normal 'cause…I dunno, maybe that She was used to having me around. And then, more than once, when I would ask where you were, She'd show me a live reel of your location rather than hum. I was gonna tell you about it eventually, but She just kept saying to be patient and that you'd come around."

Well, that was a revelation for sure_._ All this time he should've known. "Oh…"

The TARDIS told him to wait at first and to not rush into the bonding until he was ready—until _Rose_ was ready. No human was meant to receive any mental image via communication but going by what information Rose had just given him, she's been ready for him for a while. Of course! That day he scanned her body when he found out she still had residual energy from the Time Vortex, they found that she was still connected to the TARDIS—meaning she could be connected to _him._ But because she only had a smattering, her system needed more time to adjust to them properly—preparing her just for _him._

And in that time, his lovely ship was trying to tell him to get his wits together and fess up to her—because she _was_ ready for him despite his fears and doubts. How could he have been so _thick?_

"Is that…good?" Rose asked after a beat.

_"Good?_ Rose…that-that's…that's amazing," he breathed out in wonder. "No human's meant to be able to communicate like that with the TARDIS. Well, you're slightly more than average, but…even then, you weren't supposed to be capable of such communications."

A small smile appeared on her face. "Guess I'm full of surprises, too, yeah?"

He chuckled. "Oh, yes you are."

"Wait…if the TARDIS knew about the bond, why didn't She tell me about it Herself?"

The Doctor let out a sigh. "Because She was waiting for me to get over my fears. Every time I was in pain, She'd insist that I go talk to you about it, and I was hesitant to do so. She wanted me to do it all on my own. I never asked…I never thought…" He scrubbed a hand down his jaw. Oh, he was the _thickest_ of the thick…if that was even possible. But if not, _he'd _certainly be the one to make it known.

Rose studied the Doctor. He had his doubts about her being able to bond with him, but if the TARDIS has been saying she was ready for him, then that was all the reassurance he needed. That _they_ needed. Still, she had to know if he still wanted this with her.

"Does that mean we can have that?"

"I suppose so, if you want," he responded, holding his breath.

His fear was still visible, but if they could have the chance to finally be so much more, she could make him hopeful and grant him with eternal happiness. "Okay," she said without hesitating.

He arched a brow at her. "Are you sure? I swear to you I'd never force you into something you wouldn't want, Rose, this included. If I have to deal with this pain—"

"Doctor," she silenced him with a hand over his mouth before moving it to the side of his face. "I want this. I want _everything_ with you. If it means I have to see all of the things you regret, then so be it." She brought her opposite hand up to fully cup his face, brushing her thumbs over his cheekbones. "I know about the things you've done—" he opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a gentle finger to his lips. "Just…lemme say this." He complied as her hand returned to cup his cheek. "I told you before that I love you as you _are._ Everything about you, everything that defines you. No matter what, that would never change. I may not be able to give you everything you want from home, but I could still give you _this."_

Raising his hands to grip her wrists, the Doctor gently caressed the inner skin of her wrists as he stared into her eyes—her glimmering, loving eyes. A sense of déjà vu came over him as this was a similar scene to that of the moment back at Noel where she proved so much by declaring her love for him, something he had never thought was possible. But then again, she was his _impossible girl._

"Y-you…" he managed to get out. "You're absolutely sure about this, Rose? 'Cause…there's no going back from this."

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured with a small smile that mirrored on his own face.

"Oh, I know. But…while I know you're always forgiving and patient with me—which I still don't understand _how_ the hell you do it, and probably never will," he said with arched brows, making her smile widely. "What you'll see are things I could only wish were to be obliterated from my mind much less be a burden to yours. I can't guarantee that you'll forgive me for every one of those regrets…but I wouldn't blame you if you resented me." Rose tried to speak, but he cut her off gently. "Wait. I need you to fully understand exactly what you're agreeing to here, Rose. This lasts forever. Until one of us…" he cleared his throat, but the brokenness was still visible. "No matter how much you'll hate me…you could never go back."

Rose blinked once. "You think that once I see you fully that I'll be so mad at you that I could never leave you and have to live with it all?"

"Yeah…" his voice sounded hollow. "That sums it up."

She chuckled once and shook her head. "Oh…you daft, old alien." His brows creased at her response, causing her to smile again. "You may be irritating and rude at times, and aggravate me to the point where I wanna smack you, and might not be perfect…" he lowered his head, but with her hands still cupping his face, she raised him up to have him look her in the eye. "But those imperfections go along with the best parts of you, and add up to the man you are, and I'll love you for each and every one." She moved an inch closer and whispered, "I _want_ this with you, Doctor."

Was he really hearing this? Was this lovely pink and yellow human committing herself to him in the most loving and permanent gestures to ever be known? For so, so long he's felt a gaping hole lodged in his hearts, but she filled it up. And maybe now…the emptiness lurking in his head could finally be reclaimed, and filled with her essence, her grace.

Never did he feel he ever deserved this woman in a life as cruel and hectic as his, but for once the universe was being kind to him and sent down an angel to heal his battle scarred hearts. They blessed her with the gift of a longer lifespan, one matching his. While he still had doubts that with a blessing comes a curse, he discarded any pessimistic thoughts. He always did when he was around Rose. Ever since this lovely angel came into his life everything lit up the darkness inside of him.

Every day she managed to add one more reason to the long list of how many times she had surprised him with her brilliance—the very reasons why he loved her. Every time he reached for her hand she would take it willingly and run with him, tugging him away from the darkness that crept up on him and towards her light. He's said it before, but she was his shining star in the black depths of his soul.

And now, once again, she was proving what she'd do in order to heal him, to patch up his wounds no matter how deep, to make him better. What she was getting herself into was the promise of a lifetime—and this could spark inside of them and ignite them forever.

"You're thinking too loud again," Rose teased, bringing him out of his musings.

The Doctor chuckled through his nose. "Only because you keep finding ways to render me _speechless._ Then…you're _one hundred_ percent certain that you want this?" he asked, feeling his head throb with each word. "'Cause what you're agreeing to is permanent, and could never be taken away."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she told him.

"This is basically going into a marriage without any chance of divorce," he said with an arched brow, his voice shaking. "No matter how much you could hate me one day - even if it's for something silly like when I feed you banana pancakes on a consecutive daily basis—you could never leave."

His hearts warmed up when that signature tongue-in-teeth grin appeared on her face. "Is that your way of proposing?" she joked.

He laughed breathlessly. "Well…if you're entirely confident in me—in _us_—about this…" he took a deep breath as he grasped her hands in his and lowered them from his face, feeling his nerves shake with his next words. "Rose Marion Tyler…do you wish to be my bonded mate?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she repeated sincerely.

The breath was taken away from him at her words as she pulled him in for a kiss. He felt frozen at first, but he wrapped his arms around her back and reciprocated. A partial amount of the pressuring weight pushing down on him was lifted, but now the burdens were to come out next. Still, he brushed his fears aside for the moment to just relish the idea that she agreed to be his bonded. His _wife._

His need for her pulsed in his head again, causing him to break the kiss. "Right," he breathed out once he pulled back. "You wanna…do it now—"

"Yes," she answered genuinely.

Clearing his throat, he nodded. "Okay. But…not here."

Taking his hand, she gave him a gentle squeeze as they left behind the starry night sky and the balcony, off to create the one thing to ensure their forever.

* * *

**I bet you wanna kill me for cutting it there, don't ya? Patience, lovelies. It's coming…**


	44. The Moment We Come Alive Part 1

**A/N: ****As you read, please know that this is really important:_ in my canon, the Eighth Doctor was the one who fought in the Time War, and not the War Doctor. He never existed. _**_**Gallifrey is still in the timelock and will remain there. **_**I could go into an extremely long rant about that, but I won't. You're all here for a story. ****Just know that I won't follow the show's canon in _my _stories. At least _fully._**

**Okay then, on with the chapter! **

* * *

_**Chapter 44: The Moment We Come Alive Part 1**_

Though her stomach was shaking uncontrollably from the huge step she had just agreed to go through with the Doctor, Rose's heart was swooping with anticipation at the chance they could finally have. The ultimate promise sealing their forever. If only the TARDIS was around to witness this. All this time the Old Girl had been planning for this…in a way. Every time She sang those beautiful melodies to Rose in her sleep, every time She told her to be patient and wait for the Doctor to come around, and every time She told her that she, Her Wolf, was ready for Her Thief. This was what She was referring to. How it was all kept a secret from her was surprising, but in the end she supposed it would all be worth it.

And it definitely will.

For so long, Rose had always envisioned a better life for herself, one that would have taken her away from the dull and boring one that she had lived nineteen years in. She had her fun, and had some of the best times in her life, but when it came down to it, something was missing. Something exciting and different that could open her eyes and see the world as it truly was. See what lies ahead and see impossible things that were reality. And then she was whisked away from it all when a certain mad man in a box took her hand and whispered, _"Run."_

Finally making it to their room, the Doctor led her inside. He let go of her hand to shut the door behind them then took out the sonic and locked it. This would be the most private moment of their lives up to date and nothing was going to interrupt them. Taking her hand again, he walked them over to the bed.

"You'll want to sit down for this," he said softly. "You're in for quite an experience."

"Making it sound more exciting," she teased as she went over to her side and crawled onto the bed, sitting upright on her knees with her legs under her, patiently and eagerly awaiting for the process to begin.

The Doctor hummed as he mirrored her position and reached for her hands. Though he was still shaking inside, his craving was increasing to the point where he wanted to just desperately take her in his arms, but with this bonding process comes savoring and reveling in the moment when it happens. He would ease into it as calmly and steady as he could.

"It's…customary for this to happen in a few steps," he explained, then tilted his head. "But just because their customs doesn't make them rules. And even if it was, I'd probably break it anyway."

"So rebellious," Rose commented with a wide smile.

"You're not so bad yourself, Rose Tyler," he said with mock seriousness. Clearing his throat, he licked his lips and took a deep breath. "We don't have to perform every single one, though. Mainly because—" He stopped himself.

"What, Doctor?" Rose asked gently.

"It's just…you're supposed to have your parent's consent, and…your mum isn't…"

She sighed and nodded. "If mum were here, I know she would give us consent. She thought so many things about us anyway, it'd be simple."

He studied. "Okay. You're _absolutely_ sure you want this—"

_"Yes,_ Doctor," she answered. She released one of his hands and placed hers on the side of his face. "I want this."

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor placed a hand to Rose's cheek, mirroring her position and caressed her cheek. "Okay, okay. Sorry. It's just…" he shook his head. "I can't believe any of this is happening. You ready?"

"We've been ready for a while," she said softly.

He smirked before biting his lip. Shifting in his spot, he raised his hands up to Rose's head. They hung in the air, his fingers ghosting over her temples. "Now…remember to breathe," he instructed. "Breathing's important. It'll feel a little strange at first, but I promise to be extremely gentle."

"I trust you," she whispered.

He smiled warmly at her words. She trusted him with her life and heart, no matter what. She gave him hope for the things she was about to witness. Nodding his head, he slowly placed his fingers to her temples and closed his eyes…then gasped and pulled away from the sudden overwhelming feeling that washed over him at the contact.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Rose asked, concerned.

"N-nothing," he breathed out, his eyes still closed. "It's just that…you love me…"

"_Obviously_," she chuckled. "It took you _this_ long to realize that?"

He shook his head in wonder. "No, I mean…you _love_ me. _Really_ love me. I felt it right away. I've always known, but…I wasn't expecting _that_ much. It was everywhere, all I saw for a split second."

"D'you think I have unicorns flyin' around in my head all the time?" she joked.

He opened his eyes and smirked at her. "Anything's possible with you." He raised his hands again. "Sorry about that. Let's try that again."

Once more, his fingers made their way to land on Rose's temples, letting her eyes slip shut. Closing his own, he gently entered Rose's mind as she did to him.

_A cool, calming sensation poured into Rose's head as she found herself in a dark hallway of some sorts. If this was what the Doctor's mind looked like, she could only imagine how dark it would become the deeper she went through his recesses. __Feeling as if the ground beneath her had ultimately vanished, she floated towards the sound of what appeared to be a song. It was similar to the one she swore she heard the TARDIS hum at night when she would sleep. Following the sound, it guided her to a wooden door with the same symbols carved into it just like she and the Doctor's bedroom door back on the TARDIS._

_Stepping through, she found herself standing on a hill in the middle of a field of vast red grass. A gentle breeze blew against her hair as the soft melody soothed her ears, whispering phrases of an ancient language she didn't understand. Off in the far distance she saw two large twin suns in brightening up along with the burnt orange sky. Tall snowy mountains towered over the canopy of trees capped with snow planted on the outskirts of the landscape, the daylight appearing on the red leaves to make it look ablaze. But nothing stood out more prominently than what lay ahead. A Citadel encased in a mighty glass dome, the rays from both suns reflecting off of the surface as it spun around before her eyes._

_Gallifrey, in all of its splendor._

_The beautiful melody continued to play in her ears as she walked across the grass, hearing the ground beneath her crunch with every step she took. The sound of a child's singing prompted her to turn to the east to see a young boy with cropped dark hair running across the fields all alone. The Doctor. Following him, she saw him come to a complete stop. Two older figures dressed in high authority garb of crimson and gold led him off towards the empty fields. A gaping hole contained in a circular frame was ahead, a cacophony of various familiar booming sounds coming out of it. The boy stood before the gap, a look of terror on his face. After a moment, he blinked and hurried off back to hills._

_She smiled. Always was a runner._

_Next, she found herself in a large Academy where young children were strictly taught lessons of various knowledge and content. The Doctor_—_or known as Theta from what she heard, his actual first name_—_was being mocked and scolded for not taking things seriously. She felt sympathy for him. He was constantly depressed and alone even when a child, feeling as if he never fit in. She saw him when he escaped and went up to a hill to visit a…hermit? An old man giving him the company he's never known._

_Another scene of him running across the fields with another boy_—_a childhood friend. They ran together laughing over who knows what. But what came next were older versions of the two, and it was nowhere near a dear friendship. His childhood friend became an enemy driven by madness, who thrived on ruling everything. Koschei, she heard_—t_he Master was what he would be called. She saw every one of their encounters, each of them causing the Doctor to have more and more grief. Just seeing them was infuriating. The one true friend he had turned out to be his arch enemy._

_Leaving the Academy, the young man assumed the name of the Doctor - the man who helps and makes things better. She saw how fed up he was the ways of his home and wanted to get away. She felt the strong love he had for his precious granddaughter Susan, who was very much like him in the fact that she was itching for adventure as well. The sight of an older man with longer graying hair wearing an old-fashioned ensemble and carried a cane ran with Susan as they came across a room full of cylindrical transports, but she could feel what they were_—_the TARDISes. __The phone box look was definitely a better look, if she was honest._

_Doing what she knew he had done, he stole one_—_the Old Girl who's been with him for oh, so long. __They whisked away and landed on Earth and that's where he started. Next came the bunch of companions that joined him. From Susan to Sarah Jane to Adric to Ace among so many others who marveled at the wondrous life that was the Doctor's. She felt all of the regrets he's had from encountering them, all of the guilt from how their lives turned out. But none of that was his fault. __She saw all of his past incarnations in chronological order thriving and admired each and every one of them._

_The grumpy and childlike old man; the whimsical man who had a Beatles haircut and played a recorder; the arrogant scientifically driven man with curly white hair who wore a frilled shirt and magician cape; the tall humorous man with boggled eyes, thick curls, and large smile who wore a hat and that incredibly long multicolored scarf with an infatuation for jelly babies; a younger man with blonde hair and boyish good looks donning a cream colored cricket uniform and a piece of celery on his chest; an egotistical man with blonde curls who was…a kaleidoscope of colors; a short bumbling albeit serious man with black hair with a vest covered with question marks that matched his umbrella with a question mark shaped handle; a charming dapper man with brown shoulder length hair wearing a velvet suit._

_He was always the same man with a different face, and one of the things that never left him was the same feeling he's known all too well. He always felt alone. __Her breath hitched slightly at what came next, the very thing he was reluctant to show her_—_the Time War from his eyes._

_Gallifrey, as it stood in all of its glory, soon fell and turned into a battleground when all Hell was unleashed. All sorts of races were battling each other, most of them ones she's never even seen before. But one that was all too recognizable was the bloody Daleks. The dome surrounding the Citadel cracked before shattering completely, clouds of thick black smoke billowing out as massive alien ships crashed to the ground. The cries of mothers and children came to her ears, the hoarse commanding voice of an unknown creature_—_Davros, she heard_—_the creator of the Daleks giving orders to his army. Rose could actually feel Time itself unraveling from the destruction and mayhem. She heard the Time Lords coming up with a plan, and could feel the Doctor's anger and disapproval. Something called the Ultimate Sanction._

_Genocidal. A whisper came to her mind. That's what they were doing: sacrificing all of Time itself for their own selfish needs, killing everyone around them. A sickening feeling washed over Rose as she witnessed the scenes. What they believed was wrong. They were considering a method that was borderline insane, not to mention destructive. And the worst part was that all of the people of the High Council agreed to it. All of the Time Lords were supportive of the plan._

_Except for the Doctor._

_She saw him_—_the charming man in velvet now dressed for battle on the front lines with a tired expression and an ancient look in his eyes. But then he disappeared, ran off in the distance and away from the War. He made it to the outskirts of the city, far from the chaos. He took out something from underneath his jacket. The Moment. The one thing to end the War. The thing that took away his people. She felt his desperation and enmity to making the decision but it was what he had to do to stop the universe from imploding. __Then came the screams echoing across the sky._

_"Gallifrey falling! Gallifrey burning!"_

_What was once a beautiful planet turned around as the entire planet engulfed into flames, burning everything in sight. Waves of blood raged across the fields of carnage. The blood of his people. She saw him fall to his knees and weep over his actions, having to watch as his home was destroyed. The Last of the Time Lords. The one who saved the world at such a heavy cost. It was then she realized something. Whenever the Doctor would talk of his home, he would talk about its beauty, of how it should have always been. Not in the way he's known all too well, with the manipulative and egotistical types she's seen._

_It's no wonder why he ran away from home. They always looked down on him with such disdain, even after the countless times he's saved the universe, including his very home. The Doctor may be a Time Lord, but from what she witnessed, he was not like the others. He was a good man, even if he never knew._

_A bright light blinded Rose's vision as she was met with her first Doctor. The ruggedly handsome man with steel blue eyes, big ears, and Northern accent. She smiled as she saw their very first meeting in the basement of her job. She was overwhelmed by his strong feelings for her right away. He really did love her the moment they met. It was mutual. Underneath his leather was a broken man in need of fixing, a man who hid himself from the world in order to burden himself with all of the things he's done. Then came the scene from the Game Station_—_when she became the Bad Wolf and saved his life. Everything around him glowed golden when she waved her hand, right before he kissed her and absorbed the Time Vortex from her body._

_Then came her Doctor as he was now. The handsome man with gravity defying hair and pinstripes, wearing his manic smile. The waves of love she had felt soon multiplied by an extreme amount as she witnessed their adventures together. And then came that miraculous push they both needed when he took her to Noel. She felt his fears, his undying love, his promise to cherish her existence for all the time in the universe. Even now, she could feel the amount of love for her impossibly growing with every moment they spend together._

_Through it all, she felt an even greater love and respect for him. He was…beautiful. Even with scars so deep, he was the most beautiful man in the world. No matter how many times he's changed, and with the others still to come, he would always be. __And he didn't believe it. He never did. He was alone all of his lives. But now he wasn't._

_Because now he had her._

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

_Upon entering Rose's mind, the Doctor was immediately greeted with the warmth he knew all too well. Not only that, he didn't even have to go through any doors. His Rose was willing to bare everything out for him to see._

_He found himself in the Powell Estate, the place she's called her home for nineteen years of her life. He smiled at the sight of her as an infant, the same way he had when he took her back into the past in one of their first adventures. Growing up was tough in her environment having lost her father and never knowing him and being brought up by a single mother. Though the woman would annoy him at times, the Doctor always had respect for Jackie Tyler. She raised her and taught her well, turning her into the brave, young woman she was today._

_Rose was now three years old and riding a little red tricycle around her house. It was one of the few gifts Jackie could afford, and she smiled at her daughter's happiness. Then Rose, appearing to be about five year old tot, was seating on a swing in a playground, that lovely wide smile spread across her face. A young boy with dark skin joined her_—_Mickey boy. He sat on the swing next to her and fell off. The Doctor smirked. Even as a child, he was clumsy. Another image came of what looked to be a Christmas night with snow_—_actual snow. She stood outside holding her mother's hand and looked up at the night sky. When she went inside their flat, she stayed by a window and dotted the stars with her finger, poking it against the glass with a smile. __Even as a young child, she was looking for adventure across the stars._

_Next came her school days. Rose, now a little older, was seated at a small desk and taking a test. She studied it hard, but seemed to be struggling with something. But she never gave up. She scribbled something down. The next image showed her with the test_—_she received a failing grade. He could easily feel her self esteem declining as she believed she wasn't good enough. __Now she was a teenager. The Doctor watched in fury as his poor innocent Rose was led into the world of one Jimmy Stone. He poisoned her mind with negative thoughts, abused her in countless ways, tricked her into thinking he cared for her when all he did was take away precious time from her young life. Any feelings of anger diminished when the next image showed Mickey consoling her and building up her self esteem once again. The Doctor may have called The young man an idiot on so many occasions, but after seeing him help Rose in what seemed to be the worst years of her life, he gained a more newfound respect for him._

_Then he saw her working in the shop, clearly disliking the atmosphere. She was all alone and closing up when she moved down to the basement_—_and coincidentally ran into a mad man who took her hand and whispered 'Run!' __And they've been doing it ever since. Right off the bat, from the moment he came into his life, it was something she's been longing for. Her dreams of escaping became reality when he took her across the stars_—_the very ones she marveled at as a little girl. He could feel the overwhelming love and admiration radiating off of her as the memory was being relived. His lovely angel coming to him after the worst time of his long life._

_Then came the Game Station, when forever became a possibility, but was unknown at the time. He sent her away. The Daleks were back, and he was as good as dead…figuratively speaking. But just like her brilliant, stubborn self, she came back to him. Both of his girls, Rose and the TARDIS, joining together with the same intentions. To keep him safe. Even now her elegant angelic glow bathed over him as he watched, warmth spreading through his system at the very sight of her. She was in pain. He did what he had wanted to do from the moment he saw her_—_he kissed her. Absorbing the Time Vortex_—_or the majority of it_—_from her body. __It was quite a way to die, if he was honest._

_Because of that, she became a part of him, woven into his soul when he regenerated into the man he is now. The man made just for her. The love he had for her never left his past body, but instead increased and multiplied. Then all of the running. He loved the running, and so did she. Endless skies for exploring. And then came the few adventures that made him shudder_—_the Beast more specifically. He swore he wouldn't allow that creature's false words to be proven true. He'd fight for her to be safe no matter what. __Then came the very place where he let down his guard a little and let this lovely pink and yellow human permeate his body. Of all of the amazing places he's taken her, none of them will probably be as special as Noel. It was where he admitted his love for her, the place where they both made the promise to cherish every second of each other's company. How far they've come._

_Reminiscing on the passionate moment beneath the magical mistletoe, the Doctor felt something…interesting. Their timelines were undoubtedly merging with each other through the bond, but they already had before he initiated it. It all started when she grabbed his hand for the first time in the basement, even if he never realized the moment it happened. It intensified when she became the Bad Wolf next.__He made a rule to never look at a companion's timeline, much like his own, and with Rose always feeling like so much more_—_well, he refused to take a peek out of devotion. E__verything around them dispersed and they were creating their own future from that point, though little did they know they were already meant to be__ together forever. Time could be rewritten and that's what happened. _

_How could the TARDIS not inform him about any of this sooner? __Cheeky ship. When they got Her back, he was definitely spoiling Her, but not after doing so to Rose. __Everything after was a plethora of emotions_—_sorrow after the events of Canary Wharf, anger over the cause of it, and love for each other. One so strong it was worth thriving for forevermore. Not once did she ever hate or blame him for anything. Because she truly loved him. He's regrettably hurt her and broken her heart, and yet…she always loved him. And would continue to do so._

_His angel, always with him._

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

It could've lasted for five minutes, it could've been an eternity, but when it was over both the Doctor and Rose pulled back with a gasp. Blinking his eyes to shake off the incredible daze that seemed to be everlasting he felt her essence wash over him, drowning out the ache in the back of his head. It was still present, but easing up. Taking deep breaths he lifted his gaze up to Rose, who sat still with her eyes closed.

"Rose?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His hearts clenched tight in his chest. Thankfully her mind didn't appear to be burning, but she wasn't speaking.

"Rose…" he said quietly, his voice shaking. He reached for her hand, already feeling an electrifying touch from the after effects of forming the bond. "Say something, Rose."

Her eyes were still closed, but she managed to find her voice as it came out in a whisper. "Pain…so much…_pain_…"

His hearts dropped, fearing the worst that she wound up resenting him despite her confidence. He ducked his head down. "I'm sorry, Rose," he murmured. "I'm so sorry."

"How could you keep _all_ of that to yourself?" she said with a broken voice. "You've held that in all this _time_?"

Wait, what?

The Doctor lifted his head up to see Rose's eyes opened, a single tear streaming down her cheek. She was doing what she always did—being empathetic. She wasn't upset about the things he did or the things she saw; she was upset _for him._ She felt sorry for the guilt he's kept locked inside of him, all nine hundred plus years of it. Reaching forward, she placed a gentle hand to the side of his face while he just stared at her in wonder.

"Y-you don't…" he began quietly. "You don't _hate_ me?"

"Of _course_ not," she said, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone. "I told you before, Doctor, you shouldn't shut yourself out from telling me or showing me things. Even if they're the things you regret, no matter what."

"But I—"

She silenced him with a gentle finger to his lips. "Don't, Doctor," she told him. "What did you tell me when I felt guilty about showing sympathy to that Dalek? You said that even though many had died, the thing that I should dwell on was that so many others _lived._ You constantly beat yourself up over the lives that couldn't be saved, but so many others were. I understand why you had to sacrifice your entire planet and race in the War, but you did what you had to in order to save the universe. I saw what the other Time Lords were planning, Doctor."

His brows furrowed. She saw that, too?

"What they were planning would've destroyed Time itself, all for their own gain," she continued. "Even before all of that, they were always manipulating others for their own needs and gain, and what they were coming up with during the War topped it all. You knew it was wrong and you did what you always do—save the day. I know it came with a terrible price…" she moved both of her hands to rest over both of his hearts. "I know I could never take away all of the pain in here, but you're _not_ alone and don't have to carry it all by yourself anymore. You may not ever forgive yourself for your actions but I _will._ I forgive you and I love you for everything you are, Doctor. _Everything_ that defines you, both inside _and _out."

Rassilon, how did she do it? This woman was just so…_brilliant_. She saw him at his best and worst, his highs and his lows, his achievements and failures, and yet she _still_ loved him. She fearlessly went up against his demons and slayed them, sent them away. Every dark corner in his mind was shining bright where she cast her golden glow. Lighting up his darkness before it consumed him. Pulling him out of the depths before he drowned. Taking his hand to guide him, running forward and away from the pain. The ache in the back of his head, while easing up, was still present. But he didn't have to suffer through it anymore. He didn't have to hold back. She accepted him fully.

"You…" he breathed out. "You're so…"

Not even giving another thought he gravitated towards her and claimed her lips, causing both of them to sigh in unison at the contact. That spark that they felt finally ignited into a passionate flame appropriate for two lovers committed to each other forever. Pulling back, the Doctor searched her eyes, seeing her undeniable love for him. _Him._

Of course it was special. As long as they were together, it would always be that he knew very well that Rose cared deeply about him and loved him dearly, never has he ever felt so truly loved by anyone. Even his own family never showed such compassion, with the exception of his precious Susan, but this exceeded any family relations. Not even his wife on Gallifrey back then showed such emotions. It's no wonder he's been longing for something so much more.

And now he has the chance. Both of them do—together forever.

"Rose…" he began. "There's one more thing I have to tell you. It's one of the most sacred things you'll ever know. But you can't tell anyone else. This is only for _you_ to know."

She nodded. "Your secrets are safe with me," she said sincerely.

He smiled warmly, knowing full well that he could trust her with anything. Placing a hand gently on her upper arm, he leaned over to whisper in her ear the one thing that sealed her forever in his hearts. The one that solely belonged to her and her _only._

Rose shook inside at what escaped from the Doctor's mouth, the beautiful sound of each string of syllables and roll of his tongue as he spoke in the language of his home. She may not understand it, but she knew what it was. His name. His full, _true_ name in Gallifreyan.

"I don't even think I can pronounce that," she said with a breathy chuckle once he pulled back.

The Doctor grinned as he pressed a hand to the side of her face, caressing the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "You don't have to," he said quietly, before whispering across her lips, "just so long as you know it." Claiming her mouth once more sent a pleasuring warmth through his body unlike any other he's ever felt.

Any and all space between them was as good as gone.

* * *

**'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymoooooooooore! I've forgotten what I started fighting fooooooooooooooor! C'mon people, sing it with me! :'D**

**Now, a bunch of people have asked, quite excitedly I should add, if I was gonna actually write their love scene. YES, I DID! However, I'm not changing the rating of this story. ****I'll post two versions of it:**

**The edited T rated one to be posted here on FF, and the full M rated one on my Tumblr. ****I'll post the link to the chapter on my profile the day I post the next chapter here on FF if anyone wants to read it. Please know that, if you read the M rated one, it'll be my first time writing mature content (at least _that_ type of maturity) so please be kind.**


	45. The Moment We Come Alive Part 2

**A/N: *Important* ****This is the edited T version. If you'd prefer the M version, I posted it on Tumblr. The link is now up on my profile. You can post the reviews for the M rated version here.**

**If romance isn't your cup of tea, then don't read either version. (Though I must admit that I don't believe any of you will skip any version as you've been waiting for this to happen for a loooooong time.) ****Thank you, thank you, thank you all of you lovely! You guys are the best motivation a girl could have! **

* * *

_**Chapter 45: The Moment We Come Alive Part 2**_

Losing himself in this incredible woman was all the Doctor wanted to do, even before the whole whirlwind both he and Rose were currently swimming in. Which, to be fairly honest, was driving him mad as his unattainable craving of her was taking over him once again. The thin, fraying thread that he's been hanging on for oh, so long was finally coming undone. He let his guard down, lowered the shields that kept him concealed and shut him out from the world, and the one thing that cracked the surface and made everything that defined him bleed through was the persistence and brilliance and sublimely grace of his savior. He came to her in pieces, and she was making him whole.

She saw the world from his eyes, reached into the darkest and deepest depths of his conscience and left her golden light, filling up his mind with her essence. And it felt right. Never has such an overwhelming aura taken over him, but Rose would be the only one to accomplish the impossible and lift him up from the abyss he's been in for…most of his life.

Still kneeling in front of each other on the bed, the Doctor wrapped an arm around the small of her back to bring her closer. His opposite hand came up to cradle her jaw, angling her face perfectly as they explored each other's mouths like it was the very first time discovering their hidden recesses. The moment she willingly parted her lips and allowed him access, a surge shot through the both of them when his tongue slid in and met hers, almost as if it was for the very first time. Swallowing her soft moan, he drank all of her in while pouring everything out and into her, desperately quenching his thirst.

It felt just as euphoric as their first real kiss back on Noel, when they admitted to the feelings they've held close to themselves and were hesitant to release them, fearing they were putting their dear friendship in jeopardy and tarnishing everything they were. But it was all build up to this, and they were going to revel in it. To say that Rose was feeling ecstatic from the fact that she just married the Doctor in the way of his people would only be the biggest understatement in the universe. But there were no words that could describe her feelings—only actions.

Rose's hands found their way in their usual territory and tugged at his gorgeous locks, earning a low hum. Strange as it felt at first, she welcomed his cool, calming presence in the back of her mind, lingering as reassurance that this was real, reminding her that she was not dreaming, and felt his love for her pulsing through her body. What she was experiencing now was the most electrifying as her blood rushed, and every stroke of their tongues dancing together only caused her body to tingle with anticipation to feel every touch more than she ever has. To feel him. _All_ of him.

Straightening up she moved her hands to his shoulders and raised herself up higher on her knees, towering over him but never breaking away from his mouth. He joined her a second later, his hands creating friction against the material of her shirt as they roamed from her sides to her back to her bum where he gave a gentle squeeze before making his way back up. Releasing her grip from his hair Rose grazed her nails down his sideburns to the slight stubble starting to appear on his clean shaven jaw.

How the Doctor was able to resist the urge to take her fully in his arms was beyond him, but he slowly went along with it as his hands inched lower down her back then back up. His fingers peeked underneath the hem of her shirt, his coolness contrasting with the soft, warm skin of her back that caused them to hum at the contact. An electric shock zapped through them, increasing their yearn to touch. Call him crazy—which sometimes was an appropriate word to describe him—but he wanted to make sure one more time that she was actually ready to go this far. Because once he was triggered by her touch, it would be _difficult_ to stop him.

Breaking away for a brief moment proved to be useful as Rose took the opportunity to breathe while he took the chance to pepper her jaw with softer kisses as he made his way down her neck. His own chest was heaving, but at least he had his respiratory bypass. He inwardly grinned. They haven't even gone that far and she was already breathless just like always, but what they were leading into was more than they ever did. He would definitely boast about his physiology now.

But before they could continue, he pulled back and asked quietly, "Are you sure you're ready for this now, Rose? There's no hurry if you're not—"

"I'm ready," she told him, cutting him off with a lingering kiss. "I want to see all of you, Doctor," she whispered across his lips, looking at him straight in the eye. He saw that love again and almost submitted. "We've waited long enough. D'you really believe you can wait _longer_?"

"No," he choked out.

If he had to wait _any_ longer, he'd probably snap completely. Bad enough he acted impulsively and almost went through the bonding without much of her consent. Rassilon _knows_ how much he's been struggling to control himself all of these months—and even harder over the past two weeks without the TARDIS—but as she was ready, then so was he.

"I need you _now,_ Rose," he husked.

Not even giving her a chance to speak, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him as he claimed her lips, sending her his true feelings through their link at contact. She gasped into the kiss from the sudden wave, but didn't hesitate as she responded immediately, coaxing his seam open as she glided in with ease.

Oh, how much he needed her right now. No, not even right now—he's needed her this way for a _while._ Truthfully, he'd rather be in the TARDIS to complete the bond as this was customary to his home, and his lovely ship should definitely be around to witness the ceremony. That and the bed of this flat wasn't really the most comfortable piece of furniture in existence. But still, neither one of them could wait much longer. And when they got back to their home that was the TARDIS, they could renew it all. His hearts warmed up at the thought.

As their mouths recreated the slow and perfect rhythm together, Rose slid her hands down to tug at the Doctor's tie. Working on the knot, she struggled a bit but finally managed to get it undone. Pulling it loose she tossed it carelessly to the side then went right to the buttons of his suit jacket. In that time, the Doctor splayed both of his hands to her back, matching the movements of their tongues. His cool touch only heated her up more as she tried to push his jacket off, but was unsuccessful as he wouldn't release her from his arms.

Humming into his mouth phased him as he broke the kiss and shrugged off his jacket before throwing it to the side where his tie landed. He made a move to capture her lips again, but Rose stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"Wait. Stand up for a mo'," she said softly.

He complied as he backed off of the bed to stand to its side, taking her hand and gently tugging her along with him. She undid his buttons of his Oxford as he shrugged it off, revealing a white t-shirt. She took in how fitted it was against his body, but inwardly sighed. _Bloody layers, _Rose thought to herself.

"Thought you would _enjoy_ the idea of 'unwrapping' me with all the layers?" he asked out loud with a low voice, making her shudder.

She has to get used to this bond. Grinning widely, she brought a single finger and ran it down his chest. "Oh, I _definitely_ would," she purred.

His lips descended onto hers, leaning into his kiss once again as his hands rested on her hips. It was astounding how he could give off such an effect. He then proceeded by making a trail to the corner of her jaw, her neck, favoring her pulse point as he laved his tongue over the sensitive skin. When he pulled back, she was greeted with a pair of dark chocolate eyes, and she felt herself drowning in them.

Reluctantly, the Doctor reached out and held the hem of Rose's shirt between his fingers. His eyes flicked back up to hers, waiting for her to allow him to continue. She gave him confirmation when she raised her arms up. Taking it he lifted it off and over her head, then felt it slip through his fingers as he took in the alluring sight before him. Granted, he's seen it once before, but he couldn't react the way he truly wanted to then. Well…he _could_ have, but they both were on mutual ground to slowly ease into the level they finally made it to. Now he can properly admire her beauty.

Clad in a lacy white bra that hung her curves exquisitely, her smooth, exposed creamy skin tempting him to run his fingers over—which he did. With feather-light touches, the tips of his fingers went across her collarbone, over the material of her garment that caused her breath to hitch and him to smirk, down her sides then inward to her abdomen. Enjoying the electric sensation, he flattened his palms as he moved to her lower back and brought her in for another passionate kiss. Feeling like she was about to burst into flames from his heated gazes along with the dizzying sensation for being the most exposed she's ever been in front of the Doctor, Rose fisted his t-shirt and responded with vigor.

Skirting her hands down his firm torso, a deep hum came from him when she made it to the bottom. Peeking underneath she flattened her palms on his firm, rigid abdomen and only went higher. He registered her actions and backed away to take the shirt off himself. Her eyes took in the definition of his pectorals, along with that smattering of chestnut hair. Though he had a skinny build, he was still muscular. Scrawny but not too brawny—and she adored it. Her hands moved to land over each of his hearts, loving that the rapid beating beneath her palms was all an effect from her. Gently combing her fingers through his soft hair, she glanced up at him under lowered lashes, a sultry smile grazing her face. His hair was wild and his eyes were as black as a starless sky.

_God, he's gorgeous._

She leaned forward to place a few light kisses to his chest, between his hearts. With a single finger, Rose slowly slid her digit down his torso to his abdomen, feeling the warm sensations tingle inside.

"I gotta get used to that," she whispered, pulling her head back to see his face.

She could've sworn that she heard him purr. He arched an eyebrow at her and smiled. "Oh, you will."

How could it be possible for her to melt when he spoke like that? He knew it gave off an effect on her because he smiled wider. She knew he was brilliant at a great deal of things, but she wanted to know how much boasting he'll do as they finally reached this level.

Her hands skated down his sides, enjoying the static as she came to the waistband of his trousers, knowing _exactly_ where she wanted to go. His hands came up to grip her wrists, stopping her. She looked at him, confused.

"Wait," he told her softly.

She gave a sultry grin. "I've waited long enough, haven't I?"

A deep growl escaped from him. "Not yet." He brought both of her hands up to his mouth and placed a soft kiss to each palm before bringing them down to rest over his hearts, placing his own over hers as he gently caressed the tops of her fingers with his thumbs.

"Yours," he said quietly.

Rose couldn't help but feel another hint of déjà vu, recalling a similar scene back on Noel when he told her with such genuineness that those hearts belonged to her, that she took a hold of them and healed them. There was plenty of fixing up needed, but she had all of forever to stitch up those deep, penetrating wounds. And she was doing so now.

Sliding his fingers down to her wrists, the Doctor moved her arms back to rest at her sides. His fingertips glided up the outside of her forearms, her elbows, her upper arms, her shoulders, ultimately teasing her with the static he was creating. He stopped when he came to the straps of her bra and held his breath. Glancing up at her, a faint smile appeared on her face as she gave an imperceptible nod. She murmured his name and he responded by gliding his hands down her ribcage, gently grazing his nails then fanning them out behind her back.

Leaning over, the Doctor whispered in her ear, "You're so beautiful. But there's more beauty hiding behind _this_, isn't there?"

A shiver passed through her. "Why don't you find out?" she said seductively.

He hummed. "I intend to."

Moving up to the hooks he undid the clasp in one flick, loosening it. His fingers gripped the straps, slowly sliding them down her shoulders until the garment fell to the floor completely—his jaw following it.

"Oh, Rose…" he breathed out.

Blushing fiercely and feeling a chill shoot down her spine Rose tried her hardest to suppress the moan building up inside of her. Just standing before the Doctor topless was making her dizzy, but his adoration to her made her stomach shake. He looked at her with such…appreciation. Like she was his whole world.

"Doctor…"

His eyes finally met hers again and he leaned down for a lingering kiss to her lips while his hands roamed over the expansion of her back. He then placed open-mouthed kisses to her jaw and began his journey down; the hollow of her throat, her clavicle, proceeding on as he lowered himself to his knees. Opening her eyes she was met with his own staring up at her, loving and adoring. With his hands rested on her sides he placed a kiss to her sternum then made his way down her belly before coming to the waistband of her jeans. His fingers went to the zipper then he gently pulled them to her knees.

Sliding her jeans down to her ankles, Rose stood back to kick them to the side. With open palms he glided up the outside of her calves, up her thighs, letting the jubilant effects of their newly created bond take over. Her body was trembling beneath his touch, just aching for him to unlock her deepest secrets, the ones he was yet to come across. He glanced up at her, their eyes locking on as he removed her last barrier.

"_Beautiful_," he said quietly in his native language.

He didn't expect her to know what he said, but he sent her a wave of love along with it. His intentions were clear, but seeings as how their environment wasn't exactly secluded, he refrained himself from his hunger. But he could save the most intimate gesture for when they got the TARDIS back. Feeling like she was about to become pink and yellow pool, Rose threw her head back and groaned impatiently. She bent down to hook her hands under his arms. Bringing him up, she pulled him down for a fiery kiss. He growled as their mutual hunger was displayed, his hands holding her possessively.

"Impatient," he muttered against her lips.

"Bloody tease," she said.

He snickered again before she pulled his bottom lip between her teeth, nipping him. Reaching a hand around his waist, she gave one of his own buttocks a firm squeeze through his trousers, causing him to jump. Letting out another growl, he lightly guided them to the bed until the backs of her knees hit the edge. With one arm secured around her, he used the other to press against the sheets to catch himself and lay her down carefully as they collided, their mouths still connected and never missing one swipe of their tongues.

They've shared closeness before, but what they were feeling now was the most exhilarating. Undoubtedly they could get used to this. The Doctor's hands travelled down her shoulders before sliding beneath her to wrap around her back. Realizing how seriously over-clothed he _still_ was, Rose reached a hand down between their bodies in an attempt to undo the clasp of his trousers. If he was as eager as she was, surely he had to be straining to free himself from his pinstriped armor.

"_These _have to go."

"Would you do the honor?" he husked.

Raising her brows, she watched as he slowly crawled off of her, inwardly groaning at his absence, as he stood in front of her. Pushing herself to a seated position, the Doctor moved over to her with his hands placed on either side of her face. Tilting her up, he smiled warmly before bending down to give her a deep kiss. Rose's hands took the opportunity to work on his trousers, undoing the clasp with ease. Pulling them down his thighs, she opened her eyes to admire the pleasing sight of the Doctor in his pants, but he was obstructing her view.

Placing a hand to his cheek and tapping it, she gently broke the kiss and allowed him to straighten up. Resuming her previous actions Rose tugged down his trousers, bunching them around his ankles. Only on one other occasion did she see him clad in only his pants, and it was before they even accepted themselves as a couple. It was the very day he changed into the man he was today. Back then she felt shy about undressing him when he was in the vulnerable state of a healing coma and did all she could to refrain from taking a peek of anything…intimate. But now she had the opportunity to see exactly what he's been keeping from her.

He stepped out of his trousers and kicked them to the side. Biting her lip with anticipation she watched as he shed everything else off. No doubt he was feeling smug about his impressive part, but he had every right to.

"Oh my God…" she breathed out.

"Like what you see?" he asked seductively.

A sultry grin formed on her mouth. "Very much."

He framed her face, thumbs gently brushing across her cheeks. "Come here," he he softly said.

Rose held his wrists as she stood from the bed, slipping her arms around his neck. The Doctor kept her in his embrace as he held her close. Closing his eyes, he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent again, revelling in the warmth and placidity of the sensation washing over them. His hands ran over every inch of her back, from her shoulders, down her spine, valuing her silken skin as if she were a delicacy. And she was. Here they were standing together, opened completely for the other to see. Their souls merging as their minds were joining and bodies melding together. Something he never thought he'd bring himself to do with anyone. But then again, Rose was never just _anyone._

He even knew that on the first day they met, right off the bat he knew there was something special about her, and he was right. It took him too long to actually admit his true feelings for her, but leading up to this wondrous moment it was _definitely_ worth the wait, as agonizing as it was.

No words needed to be said. Rose knew he was taking this slow and steady as he wanted to savor every prolonged touch and kiss as much as her, and even though she's been waiting for this to happen between them for oh, so long, she let the Doctor preserve this beautiful, sensual moment. For once in his long life, he was at the most peace. Having glimpses of what his childhood and life used to be like was just heartbreaking. He never was looking for pity, or sympathy, or noting too serious. He needed a hand to hold. He needed someone to believe in him for everything that he was. And she was the one to give it to him.

Holding him in her arms she rubbed his back affectionately, and kissed his neck. Turning her head she made a trail up to the soft skin beneath his earlobe before nibbling it. He hummed as she continued to her path down across his jawline. He pulled back enough for her to press one firmly to his lips. One of his hands raised to cradle her cheek before sliding down the curve of her neckline then to her shoulder. Guiding her backwards, he lowered her down to the bed and broke the kiss. Shifting herself she backed up to rest her head on the pillows and he followed her with his gaze.

To see his Rose in such a position before him was a beautiful sight indeed, almost as if she were a sacrament. And to him, she was. Her smooth, creamy skin glowing in the darkness of the room, her eyes shining with love, her silky blonde hair fanning out on the pillows like a halo above her head. She may have felt self conscious about herself in the past, but she never had to be that way around him. He would always cherish and admire her beauty like a treasure, and give her the love she deserved. He shifted to sit by her feet.

"I always wanted to see you like this," he said softly.

Following his gaze with his fingers, he made a slow path starting with her ankles. Lifting them up, he placed a soft kiss to the inner skin before lowering them back down and continuing his path with his hands up her calves before bending down to press a kiss to her knee. Ascending up her body he mapped out every inch. Coming to hover over her he cupped her face with his hands as he placed tender kisses to her eyelids, her cheeks, then to her lips as he deepened it, swallowing her moan.

Covering her body, he wrapped an arm around her waist while his opposite hand moved down her ribs, her hip, and her thigh. Rose made her own travels as she looped an arm around his neck, sliding down his back and grazing the mole between his shoulder blades with her fingers. Breaking away, he made a trail of kisses down her neck, nipping at the soft skin by her pulse point before shooting the bite with his tongue, leaving her skin to burn and shiver simultaneously at his touches.

If she didn't release herself she was sure to burst from all the shockwaves of pleasure tingling throughout her. He lifted his head and craned his neck, allowing her to see the carnal passion burning in his eyes. Years of aching desires to come out and they finally have the chance to release them. He's been holding back from her for so long, but he didn't have to now.

All of his life he's dreamt of feeling something as sensational as this, and now he did. And it happened all because of this beautiful pink and yellow human—his saving grace. She did the impossible, showed it to him in ways he never believed, taught his hearts, his battle scarred hearts, a feeling he never thought could come back. Granted, it didn't. No, it was expanded and multiplied by an infinite number to the point where he would gladly drown in it. And now he was about to drown himself in her fully. His shining star, his love, his _wife_.

For far too long they could've taken it this far. So many incidents where their love was pretty obvious and their intentions were clear, but they held back from taking this big step. He held back because of his fears. All of the complications that would result from it. There were so many reasons why he shouldn't have even thrown himself in a deeper relationship with Rose, but there was one that stood out from the rest, outweighing the others. He loved her. That was all that mattered.

Wanting to savor the feeling, he gave her a moment to breathe as he gazed down into her eyes. "I love you, Rose," he whispered.

That wasn't exactly what he wanted to say as there were no words to describe how he really felt. But now he could show it to her. Resting his forehead against hers, he sent a strong wave through their nearly completed bond, expressing exactly how he felt with countless waves of love and adoration.

Rose gasped at the warm sensations she received through the link. It came over her, hugging tight like a welcoming and serene embrace. She could get used to that for her entire life. She tried to send some back, to transfer her feelings for him through their bond. Closing her eyes, she focussed. The Doctor pulled his head back and gasped.

"Doctor?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

Shaking his head with wonder, he stared at her. "Rose…did you just…?"

"I-I dunno, I tried to…"

He laughed breathlessly as he kissed her forehead. "You weren't supposed to be able to transfer thoughts just yet. But…you _did_."

She smiled. "Guess I'm full of surprises, eh?"

"Oh, definitely, you're brilliant," he chuckled before adding softly through their link. _"My brilliant Rose."_

Bodies sang together in perfect harmony as they made love for the first time; the synchronicity of three beating, fully alive hearts bursting with unattainable love; beautiful sounds of pleasure escaping mouths along with endearing words of undisclosed desires; every movement of skin against skin, making them hum; the joining of their minds as the rush came, spinning around them as they rode it out. Neither one of them could really comprehend that this was finally happening as they lost themselves completely in each other in the most surreal and sacred moment shared between them. The consummation of husband and wife, the completion of their bond, the unification of a Storm and a howling Wolf balancing each other out; beginning the next chapter of their everlasting lives. Finally reaching the highest possible peak of pleasure after what felt like an eternity in their own special world, the Doctor released a slur of terms of endearment in his native tongue, amplifying their true meanings through strong feelings via their link as he filled her up with his love. Rose wasn't far behind as she joined him in their dizzying descent back onto Earth, completely spent.

Propping himself up on his forearms so not to crush her with his weight, the Doctor's forehead fell to hers as they both tried to catch their breaths from the after effects of their waves still whirling around them. Rose ran her hands through his damp hair then down his slick back. He raised his head up to give her a sloppy kiss which was all he could offer at the moment. Leave it to her to be the one to drain him of all of his energy…at least for a few minutes. But he didn't want to overwhelm her and boast about his 'no refractory period'. Not yet at least. He'll save it for next time. Hopefully they'll have the TARDIS back by then. If not then he'll live up to his promise.

"That was…" Rose spoke up, before chuckling breathlessly.

The Doctor joined her. "Oh, my thoughts exactly," he husked.

She stared up at him. "How did we hold back all this time?"

His chest expanded when he took in a deep breath then fell when he let it out through his nose. "I dunno." He paused, smiling warmly. "But I'm glad it all worked out for the best."

"Me too."

He slowly pulled himself away and took her in his arms as he moved to lay beside her. Placing a kiss to her temple and tracing his love for her in his home script on her back, he let out a content sigh as he admired the enlightening tingle in his mind. What used to be an empty and dark hole was now bathed in a golden light and filled with her presence, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

Rose pillowed her head on his chest, the rapid beating of his hearts pounding in her ear while she traced patterns over his hairs with a single finger. "I can still feel you…in my mind."

"You're supposed to," he said, rubbing the soft skin of her ribs. "That's the bond. It allows us to still feel the other's presence even if we don't speak among other things."

"It feels…good," she breathed out.

"I should hope so," he said with a low voice.

"No more headaches now," she told him. "No more darkness." Rose smiled against his chest and placed a soft kiss between his hearts. No more holding back now.

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p'. "Now there's light. Only my angel." He brought his hand to her chin, tilting her up to face him and smiled. "_My Rose_," he added through their link before kissing her softly.

When he pulled back, he kissed her forehead as she nestled into his chest and fell asleep peacefully in his arms. And for the first time since arriving in 1969—no, for the first time in a _long_ while, the Doctor found himself doing the same thing.

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**FINALLY! XD God! It's hard to make an M rated chapter T rated? 'Cause it is. Well…does this seem T rated here? I'm slightly paranoid. I need some more practice with these scenes. ****I'd actually prefer you read the M version as I feel it's more fitting, but I'm not forcing anyone to do so. If this version did you justice, then good **

**Again, if you haven't already and want to read the M rated version, check my profile for the link to it on my Tumblr. Whichever version you read, you can leave the review here. Thanks! **


	46. Falling Into Place

**A/N: ****Thank you to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You guys are great motivation for me, and I appreciate you taking the time to read *hugs* ;)**

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_**Chapter 46: Falling Into Place**_

Rose stirred out of her sleep at the sound of a soft snore in her ear. It must have been close to morning as the sun had yet to rise. For a moment she forgot where she was, but that comfortable feeling in the back of her mind brought everything back to her, causing her to smile. A familiar someone was being the big spoon to her little spoon, his limbs still tangled with hers underneath the duvet in the bed of their temporary flat. Inhaling a deep breath and letting it out in a content sigh, she chose to remain still in the Doctor's protective arms.

Her _husband's_ arms.

Even as she thought about it at this very moment it made her giddy inside. Usually she would refer to the Doctor as that if she were putting on a facade while investigating—only now it wasn't an act, it was _real_. In all of her fantasies as a little girl, Rose never imagined herself getting married one day to anyone, and she certainly never dreamed of her doing so to an old mad man in a box. But it was her reality, her life, nd it's all she could ever want. And to think that how ever many hours ago it had been since she thought she had done something wrong when trying to get the Doctor to relax from all of his stress with the whole Weeping Angels dilemma they were still stuck in. She was expecting him to distance himself from her again because she thought she had done something wrong. Instead he confessed about sealing himself off from initiating a telepathic bond with her because he was afraid of how she'd react.

He proposed to her, and she gladly accepted. They consummated the marriage in the ways of his people—well, _mostly_ since they weren't on the TARDIS and must have skipped a few steps, but it was all the same. They finally took their relationship to the most intimate of levels, giving themselves fully to each other and expressing their undeniable love and needs. Who would've expected that after two years of traveling across the stars and forming a caring friendship and then almost a year later they would become man and wife. Hopefully this wasn't too domestic for him. She brushed that off. From everything that happened last night, it was easy to see exactly how desperate he was after holding back from letting himself go completely, but seeing how much he wanted to in the end. She saw every side of him, every secret he's ever kept, ever regret he wished to forget, everything about him that made him…_him_. And he was beautiful, both inside and outside.

Lifting her hand Rose lightly traced over the Doctor's arm currently slung around her waist like a safety belt with her fingertips, enjoying the tingling sensation that spread throughout her body as she massaged his hairs. The double rhythm of his hearts steadily pulsed against her bare back, along with a low hum that escaped from his bare chest. A combination of warmth and chills shot through her body, both pleasurable effects from when she felt his breath ghost over her neck and nuzzling the spot with his nose. It had to be a crime to make one melt just by the slightest breath against skin, it just had to be. But then again, he had a _small_ reputation for being a bit of a rebel.

Slowly turning in his arms she wasn't greeted with his chocolate eyes gazing at her like usual, but the sight she saw was equally beautiful, if not more. She smiled. For once in a long while, he was asleep. _Truly_ asleep. No creases appeared on his face, and he appeared to be much younger than how he looked. He looked peaceful. Of all of the times they've shared a bed on the TARDIS, he's always been the first one awake. Only on one other occasion was he in such a deep sleep and it was when he regenerated into this body and had to put himself in a healing coma. Now was a different situation.

Since being stranded in 1969 he's yet to have some down time and take a much deserved rest from working so hard to get them back to the present and the TARDIS. And whenever he tried, he seemed to be haunted by a nightmare. Now, though, after weeks of restless nights, he was finally at ease.

Rose thought it would be rude to wake him up when he was resting. Bringing up her hand she was about to gently run her fingers through his messy yet still _incredibly gorgeous_ hair, but refrained. She always wanted to wake him up for once. After all, every time she slept in he'd find some kind of method of getting her up, whether it'd be soft, loving gesture a or just flat out tossing her out of the bed. She thought of an even better way, one that he would love even more.

She bit her as lip she studied him. This bond was still fairly new territory for her, but over time she would get used to it. She surprised him last night, maybe she could do it again. She focussed solely on the one thing she loved more than anything, trying to transfer her thoughts and feelings. The Doctor inhaled a deep breath before letting it out, his eyes twitching behind their lids before peeking one of them open to look at her.

"Hey," she said softly. "Mornin'."

He smiled. "Good morning," he repeated in a gravelly voice. She felt him gently nudge her mind and she grinned even wider.

She brought her hand up and lightly scratched his sideburn, making his eyes slip shut for a moment. "Sorry to wake you."

"Not a bad way to wake up," he said with a hum. "It's good to know you're testing out the bond." He arched an eyebrow at her. "Though I must say you're proving to be more advanced than I thought. You're not meant to send waves for a good…" he squinted one of his eyes. "Few weeks or so."

Rose smiled widely as she propped up on her elbow and moved her hand down to his chest, swirling a finger. "Underestimated me, huh?"

That happy sound she loved so much came out of him as he shook his head and grinned. "You're brilliant, you are."

Mirroring her position he raised a hand to her chin he traced her full bottom lip with his thumb before giving her a brief, passionate kiss. This woman—this _impossible_ woman. He may understand the most complicated equations and formulas in existence, each and every constellation created and seen in the skies, and other various topics and knowledge, but one thing he would never be able to fathom was how and why the universe blessed him with an angel, but he was grateful they had done so. And the golden presence lingering in the back of his mind only added to it, and it was the greatest gift he could ever receive. That they could ever have.

Rose studied him after the Doctor broke he kiss. "Doctor…about everything I saw…"

His breath hitched. That caught him off guard…although he knew she had countless questions about everything, and it was only a matter of time until she began asking him about things. "What d'you remember?"

She shook her head. "'S like…I know I saw _everything,_ but remembering certain things is a little hard. Almost like a dream."

"Well, to be fair, you _did_ have over _nine hundred years_ of memories buzzing around in here," he tapped a finger to her forehead. "Do you remember what I looked like over the years?"

She snorted. "Hard to forget those mugs."

"Oi," he raised his hand to tickle her ribs with a single finger and she yelped. Usually he'd continue torturing her with tickling, but he refrained himself. "Okay, then. What did I look like in my sixth life?"

"Like a unicorn threw up a rainbow," she answered honestly, causing him to make a happy noise. That was an interesting description. "What the hell were you thinkin' when you picked out _those_ clothes? I mean, I saw all of your past selves—some of which dressed…oddly—but _that_?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "It was a phase I went through. Doesn't mean I agree with the color scheme _now."_

"Good, 'cause I might slap you if you ever dressed like that again for real," she joked. He smirked as she reached for his hand and threaded her fingers with his. "I saw Susan."

He nodded. "My granddaughter," he confirmed gently. "You would have liked her. She was so eager to go exploring the universe, but she also enjoyed spending time on Earth."

"Like you."

"Yeah." His eyes twinkled. "You know what her Gallifreyan name was? It was Arkytior," he drew out with a heavy accent.

Rose looked intrigued. "Sounds pretty. Does it mean something?"

The Doctor hummed and squeezed her hand. "It translates to 'Rose'."

Her eyes widened as she laughed in surprise. "You're kidding."

"Small world, innit?"

"Tiny," she giggled. She licked her lips and was quiet for a moment. "But…I saw someone else, too. Your old friend. The one that went mad."

His smile instantly vanished. That was the last thing he wanted her to bring up. Or at least _one_ of them. "Oh, yes," he breathed out.

"What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and kept his eyes lowered. "We…we were just too different. _Radically_ different. His intentions were far more extreme and than mine. And after…an unfortunate incident with the High Council, we just distanced from each other." He honestly didn't want to bring up anything with…him. All it left was grief and bitterness.

"Well, I'd assume he was bonkers if he called himself 'The Master'," Rose said. She noticed his discomfort with the topic and mentally kicked herself for even mentioning it. "I'm sorry. What about you?" she asked, turning it around. "You must've had a breeze in my mind."

He let out a chuckle through his nose. "Twenty-one years _is_ a breeze for me." He shifted a bit. "Well…I saw that you've always dreamt of traveling across the stars. As if _that_ wasn't a coincidence." She smiled. "And…I saw some things that…hurt." She frowned. "I'm sorry, Rose," he said quietly.

"No, s'okay," she told him. "That was the past." She lifted their joined hands and smiled. "This is the present and future. And it's ours."

He grinned when she leaned in close for a loving kiss. Releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her back, he happily responded. Moments like these were always enough to make him lose himself in this woman, but now it exceeded everything it was before. And he would gladly love to spend forever her in her arms like this. Only when she started giggling did he pull away.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something?" he asked.

"'S just…" she shrugged a shoulder, the wide smile still on her face. "We're _married."_

He chuckled through his nose. "We are." He paused and lifted his hand from her back to scratch his neck. "This wasn't exactly how I envisioned this happening," he admitted. "Not by a long shot. I always saw us consummated in our _own_ bed, in _our_ own room, and in the TARDIS—our actual _home. Definitely_ not in some uncomfortable bed in a flat while stranded in _1969,"_ he added, pulling a face.

Rose giggled again. "I dunno, it seems very…_us."_

He snorted with a smile. "I suppose." He frowned for a moment. "I just…I wanted it to be special."

"It already _is,"_ she said softly. "It would _always_ be special, no matter where it happens."

The Doctor smiled as he brought his hand to rest on her hip, gently caressing her soft skin. "True. But as I said, there's a whole private ceremony…sort of…that takes place."

"We can still have that, Doctor. When we get the TARDIS back, yeah? We could do it later on."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Have you been reading my mind?"

"No, but I _could_…right?"

He inhaled a deep breath. "Weeeell, yes, but not just yet. It's still fairly new for you, but we'll practice. If you're already able to transfer feelings, then thoughts should be a breeze for you…in time, of course."

Rose smiled. "Okay."

The Doctor studied her for a moment. Though he was ecstatic that he finally let himself go and gave in to the bonding, something else was bugging him. "I'm sorry, Rose."

Her brows furrowed. "For what?"

"Just that…this probably wasn't how you envisioned a…wedding…to be like—"

"Don't you start," she said firmly, shifting to sit herself a little higher. "Don't go thinking that what we had last night wasn't special, because it was."

"No no, that's not what I meant," he assured, raising himself up as well. "All's I was saying was that…even though you're not _fully_ human anymore, you'd rather prefer to have a traditional _human_ wedding and not—"

"Stop," she cut in gently. "I told you before, none of that mattered to me. I don't need to have the typical human wedding to be happy…" she lifted her hand to rest on the side of his face. "I'm perfectly satisfied with having it done in the way of _your_ people, Doctor. I may not be able to give you everything from your home, but I could give you this. It's _all_ that I want, nothing else," she moved her hand down to his chest, resting between his hearts.

His eyes lit up. While the least he could do was give her _something _human, his hearts warmed up at her commitment to him. Though even if they _were_ to do the traditional human wedding, surely Rose would've loved to have her family and friends to witness her big day. But alas, that would never be possible. Still, if she was happy, then so was he. Maybe _more. _Nodding he lowered his gaze as he admired her alluring figure, tracing circles over the soft skin of her hip then up her ribs with a single finger, smiling at the sparks electrifying both of their insides.

"Oh, it _was _special…and it always _will_ be. Though we skipped a few steps during the whole process…"

"The last part was pretty good, though," she said lightly.

The Doctor hummed. "That it was." He raised his eyes back to her, his face full of offense. "Just _'pretty good'?"_

She tilted her head. "Well…I think I might need another demonstration for a better elaboration."

"Then allow me to accommodate you," he said, voice low with waggling eyebrows.

He growled as gently eased her down on her back, causing her to giggle. Maybe _now_ was the time to mention his 'no refractory period.' The thought of that made him snicker. Definitely not a bad way to wake up.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Morning came at the sound of someone driving by honking their horn quite loudly, but Martha had been up for about five minutes already after the sun blinded her vision. Luckily it was the weekend, so she didn't have to head over to work at the shop. Sleeping in late was something she never did often, but ever since traveling with the Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS, her clock has been pushed a few times. Speaking of those two…

She hoped everything went well between them. Seeing how upset they both were only reminded her of those bitter two weeks in the TARDIS during their distance phase, and then the added two months of hiding away in 1913. The last thing she wanted was a replay of that unpleasant atmosphere. After her conversations with both the Doctor and Rose last night, all she could wonder was how they never talked to each other fully—mainly the Doctor. He admitted to Martha about the bonding thing, but was hesitant to mention it to Rose due to his fears of her rejection. Being scared of taking such a huge step of commitment was a given, so she couldn't blame him for his nervousness. But how many times did he really have to know how much that woman meant to him? Hopefully it all worked out for the best.

She didn't want to go after him again if he backed out, but if he needed another smack upside the head to set him straight, then she would be happy to do so. To be honest she's been meaning to smack him for quite a while now. It was a shame that the TARDIS wasn't around to witness that pleasing move.

Getting out of bed Martha headed out of the guest room and to her own for a change of clothes. Upon exiting, she noticed down the small hall that the Doctor and Rose's bedroom door was still shut as she walked past. She didn't hear anything. Probably still sleeping.

Well…that's definitely something unexpected. Usually back on the TARDIS those two would already be bouncing around with loads of energy, and she'd be the one to wake up last. Now, even though they haven't been in the TARDIS for two weeks, this has been the only time where _she_ was the first up and out. Unless…they were probably busy… Martha shook her head. That was none of her business where her or not they were…doing things.

After a few more minutes of retrieving her clothes and freshening herself up, she made her way out of her room…finding the Doctor and Rose's door opened. Must be awake now. As she came into the living room, a delicious smell of bacon and pancakes—not banana—greeted her. She found the both of them in the kitchen standing by the stove; the Doctor with a fork in one hand and his sonic in the other, using it instead of the actual burner to cook while Rose was preparing the food on her own side, acting like their usual giddy selves with huge, silly grins splitting their faces, and being somewhat touchy with each other. A little more than usual.

They couldn't be any more obvious. They might as well have taped signs on their backs saying so.

"About bloody time," Martha called out, causing them to whirl around.

"Ah, Martha, you're up," the Doctor said. "We were just…" he cleared his throat. "Ehm…" he turned to Rose for supplication, but she just bit her lip and noticeably blushing.

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving it off as she came to sit by the small table. "I see everything worked out well for the both of you."

Rose nodded as she glanced up at the Doctor, the wide smile still on her face. "Couldn't be better."

The Doctor hummed and nudged her shoulder as they leaned on each other, giggling like loons.

Martha inwardly rolled her eyes. As if they weren't gushy enough as '_boyfriend and girlfriend_'. Of course they always seemed so much more than that, but now that they bonded and are ultimately married, all of their constant fawning would increase.

"Good. Lucky for you the TARDIS wasn't here to help me lock you two in a room until everything was settled."

"Weeeell…" the Doctor drawled as he set out plates on the table.

Rose patted his back as she came over to serve their breakfast. As they each ate, the Doctor began to talk about the folder contents. He said that, since it was the weekend and the girls were off of work, that they each could go out and use the timey-wimey detector again to find any traces of energy used by any Weeping Angels. He also mentioned that they still needed parts to create a digital recorder and an autocue so he can do his part of the transcript given to him by Sally Sparrow. Challenging as it was, the girls assured him they'll find a way to get those parts…somehow. Then Rose mentioned that they formed a telepathic bond…and the two of them were caught in another brief giggle fit.

Once they finished eating the Doctor stood from his seat. "Right. Suppose we should get started then. Got some more detecting to do."

"Gotta keep trying to solve this mystery, yeah?" Rose said lightly.

"Oh yes!"

As the Doctor took off to retrieve his timey-wimey detector, he grabbed his trench coat and darted out the front door with Rose not far behind. If the adoration between those two wasn't noticeable enough, then they were definitely making it known now.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The three travelers headed out onto the streets for their usual strolls when detecting. The Doctor, leading the way, held out his detector as they moved around. He's programmed it to make a _ding_ when it's picked up something, and it has yet to do so except for making a ticking sound because of the clock attached to it. Although it had made that _ding_sound, but that was only when it boiled eggs and then there was the chicken incident…

Still, with the telephone that was connected to the detector pressed against his ear, he as ready for it to pick up something.

_Ding._

"Aha!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Picked up a reading! Oh, now we're cookin'!"

"Good thing you didn't say that to the hens," Rose joked.

He snorted as he spun around in a circle, the dinging continuing to…ding. He locked onto it and nodded in the direction they had to go. "This way!"

Hurrying down the street the three turned a corner until they came near the alley they had arrived in two weeks ago. Entering it, they saw a dark skinned man seated on the ground with his back against the wall, appearing shaken up. They recognized the man right away.

"Doctor…" Rose began. "That's Billy."

"That it is," he confirmed, still listening to the beeping sounds. "C'mon." He led them down in the tunnel. "Welcome!" he cheered happily as they reached the man.

"Where am I?" Billy asked, confused and disoriented as he glanced around.

"1969," Rose answered.

"Not as bad as it goes," the Doctor added, wagging his eyebrows at Rose before turning back to Billy. "You've got the moon landing to look forward to."

"Oh, the moon landing's brilliant," Martha said. "We went four times, almost five." She arched an eyebrow at the Doctor. "Back when we still had transport," she muttered.

He sighed. "Working on it!"

"We can't be too hard on him, Martha," Rose said, patting his arm. "I mean…he's had so much on his mind lately."

"Maybe…and the fact that he's your husband now, you're gonna defend him with everything," Martha replied.

The Doctor's eyes widened at that. Just for that to be said out loud was…amusing and utterly enlightening. Never did he think he'd ever be considered that - for real, and not for an act - but it was all true. He couldn't help but grin at that. Glancing down at Rose she smiled sweetly at him.

She turned back to Billy. "Oh, sorry. I'm Rose," she gestured at herself then at the others as she introduced them. "That's Martha, and this is the Doctor."

Billy flitted his eyes between them, holding a hand against his head. "How did I get here?" he asked cautiously.

"Same way we did," the Doctor answered. "The touch of an angel. Probably the same one since you ended up in the same year." Billy tried to stand up, but was too dizzy as he fell back. The Doctor placed a hand on the man's shoulder to gently stop him. "No no no no, don't get up." He moved to sit on the ground beside him. "Time travel without a capsule—nasty. Catch your breath, don't go swimming for half an hour."

The man shook his head. "I don't…I can't…"

"Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels," the Doctor continued, leaning his head against the wall. "The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss. They just zap you into the past and let you live to death. You die in the past, and in the present, they consume the energy of the life you might have had." He paused, a faraway look in his eyes then sniffed. "They're creatures of the abstract, they live off potential energy."

Billy stared at him. "What in God's name are you _talking_ about?"

"Don't mind him, he rambles on," Rose snorted before adding, "It's…complicated. Trust me, just nod when he takes a breath. It's the simplest way of explaining it."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at her before turning back to Billy. "Tracked you down with this," he held up his contraption as it ticked and beeped. "This…is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg from thirty paces away. Whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens." He shook his head. "It's not pretty when they blow."

Rose shuddered. "Definitely not."

Billy shook his head. "I don't understand, where am I?" he repeated.

"1969, like they said," Martha told him.

"Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor," the Doctor said. "So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow." An apologetic expression crossed his face. "And…I'm sorry, Billy. I am very, very sorry. It's gonna take you a while."

Noticing the man's confusion only increasing, Rose crouched down and hooked a hand under his arm. "Come with us. We'll explain everything to you."

Taking the man back to their flat, they served him a cup of tea while they explained the situation to him as simple and less confusing as possible.

"It sounds like one of the silly science fiction movies," Billy commented after a moment, taking everything in.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, culture shock."

"That's our life," Rose added.

Billy leaned forward with his cuppa still in his hands. He's yet to take a sip, but that was understandable. "Let me see if I got this straight…the blue box…that blue box was yours—"

_"Is_ ours, yes" the Doctor corrected.

"And for you to get it back, you have to communicate with the beautiful blonde girl." Martha snorted. "But what's the message I have to give her?" Billy asked.

"Ah." The Doctor took out a paper from the folder and showed it to him. "What we need you to tell her is to look at the list."

Billy studied it. "A list of…DVDs?"

"They belong to Sally," Rose told him. "The Doctor needs to communicate with her before the Angels get into the police box." She reached over and pulled out the transcript. "We have to send her his part of the conversation. And he could do that by creating Easter eggs."

"Easter eggs?"

"Yeah, y'know…those little extras you get," Martha told him. "We're gonna need a digital recorder with a teleprompter and an autocue," Martha cut in.

Billy shook his head. "Wait, but this is 1969. Were those around?"

The Doctor sighed. "Yeah, that's a slight problem. But we're working on that. What we need you to do is very important. You're gonna have to be the one to put the Easter eggs on there."

The man nodded. "And tell her to look at the list."

"Exactly." The Doctor's eyes downcast. "But…it'll take you a while. I'm so sorry, Billy. But…the day you see her again will be your last," he said sadly.

Rose rubbed the man's arm. "We're sorry, Billy."

The man took a deep breath. "Wow. Never thought all of this would happen after meeting that beautiful blonde girl at the station."

"Always the blondes, huh?" Martha commented.

Rose arched a brow. "Oi!"

"It's only a joke."

The Doctor gently nudged Rose's shoulder, suppressing a teasing grin. She lightly punched his arm and he exaggerated his pain. "Anyways…" he said. "You'll have to get into video production in order for it to happen."

"But where am I supposed to go?" Billy asked. "I'm a long way from home."

"You can stay with us," Rose said.

"Don't worry about the sleeping arrangements. Those two share a bed," Martha added, gesturing at the Doctor and Rose. "And with them being 'newlyweds'…"

The Doctor's eyes widened as he tugged his earlobe. "A little discretion, please," he said with a squeaky voice.

Martha nodded, still facing Billy. "So you can stay in the guest room."

"Okay. Thank you. Is it…is it alright that I start job hunting tomorrow. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole…thing."

"Y'know what, let's take a break from…this, and head back over to the funfair," Rose suggested. "At least something to lighten the mood, yeah?"

"Rose—" the Doctor began.

"I know, I know," she cut him off, waving her hand. "You wanna keep working on everything, but can we just have another day of relaxation?" She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "And I mean outside and in a park. After all…we're newlyweds. Some fun is in order, I'd say."

He giggled. "And there'll only be more to come."

Billy just stared at the giddy couple while Martha rolled her eyes. Newlyweds.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The weekend passed by quickly after spending nearly the entirety of the time at the funfair, dancing clubs, and basically just having some down time. The Doctor was, no surprise, jittery. Call it after effects from bonding with Rose, which was an _incredible_ feeling indeed, but they still needed to get out of 1969. It's been more than two weeks since being zapped here and, while some things were coming together in this whole mess, one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle has yet to be solved. How to require the parts needed to create a digital recorder and an autocue.

Billy decided to get right out in hopes of getting a job in video production as soon as possible. The others assured him if he wasn't ready just yet to wait as he just arrived, but the man insisted. The Doctor supplied him with the psychic paper to borrow for easier access. While the girls headed out to work, the Doctor made his rounds in search of mechanical parts. Unfortunately but unsurprisingly, it was to no avail as he was unsuccessful. He mentally kicked himself for not stocking his pockets up with spare parts. Still, he kept his hopes up as he continued his search. They would be out of here in no time—definitely a whole lot sooner than when he was exiled here.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

At the shop, Rose stood by the counter while Martha was closing up. Even to this day it felt funny to be working in a shop. Two weeks since being stranded here and it was so familiar. Still not as thrilling as it was back then, but it was only temporary. She grinned at the thought of a certain man coming to her rescue in the basement.

_"Ah, and what a day that was."_

The sound of the Doctor's voice in her mind caused her to jump at first but then that cooling sensation was lingering and she smiled. _Definitely could get used to that._

_"Oh, you will,"_ he chuckled._ "Rose Tyler, aren't you supposed to be working?"_ he teased.

She wanted to send something back to him. He had told her that they would practice using the bond in their own time, but that didn't mean she couldn't mess around with it now. With a thoughtful mindet she tried to think of something to transfer. Instead of feelings she thought of something that would get his attention. Something…wicked.

_"Blimey,"_ she heard him breathe out. _"If you're trying to keep that to yourself, I'd say you need a lot of practice." _He paused._ "Although…sharing is caring." _She laughed.

"What's so funny?" Martha asked curiously as she came out from the back.

"Um…" Rose said, trailing off.

"Lemme guess, you're doing…something with the bond, right?" Rose nodded, and Martha smiled. "As if you two weren't giddy enough." She smiled shyly. "Hey, I'm happy for you both. And I meant what I said earlier: it's about bloody time."

That it was. At one time—or more than once she should admit—she was doubtful that both she and the Doctor would ever reach this point in their relationship despite their mutual love. But she did what she always did—she was patient and it all paid off in the end.

"It's nice to see things working out," Martha said.

Rose nodded. "Definitely. Though the Doctor still has to figure out how to build a digital recorder with an autocue."

"I know I've said this already, but how could someone with impossibly large pockets not have any spare parts?"

Rose shrugged. "Dunno. But it's really not his fault. None of us were expecting this."

Heading out, the girls closed up the shop and made their way down the street. "Oh, I was supposed to meet Billy at his workplace," Martha blurted out.

"You two seem to seemed to hit it off," Rose commented.

"Yeah. But…I know I shouldn't be gettin' too close to him. Don't think I'd wanna stay here much longer no matter what nice blokes are around here."

"Or the ones that pop up."

The girls parted ways, Rose going in the direction of their flat. By now the Doctor had probably finished his daily rounds of scavenging. Walking on the pavement she thought she heard the sound of an explosion in the distance, her head jerking up. Glancing around she saw nothing. Usually those were signs to know where the Doctor was, but it didn't…seem like it was by him. Shaking her head she turned the corner…

…only to be accidentally knocked over when a man rushed into her.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, my dear," the man said, holding out his hands to help her up.

"No, no, that was my fault," Rose said, lifting up to her feet. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I assure you that I am the one accountable," the man said. "Completely rude of me."

As Rose made it to her feet she was about to say otherwise when she caught sight of the man she had collided with. "Oh, my God," she breathed out. "Doctor?"

"Oh, you've heard of me, then," he said, amused.

This wasn't just the Doctor—it was one of his past regenerations.

Shaking her head in wonder, Rose couldn't believe she was standing in front of one of the Doctor's past incarnations—his _third_ one to be exact, garbed in his magician's cape, frilly white shirt, and tie. She recalled seeing him in the Doctor's—_her_ Doctor's—mind during the bonding process. This was him when he was unceremoniously exiled from Gallifrey.

"Yes," she said genuinely. "Yes, I have. A lot, in fact."

* * *

**Hey look, a cameo!**

**Response to _newboy_: Sorry I didn't post any responses to your reviews last chapter. Thanks so much! Rose being Rose :D**

**Response to _Random Fangirl:_ Yaaay! I'm glad you loved it! ;D I think I can speak for everyone and say we're _all_ on the brink of insanity lol**


	47. A Helping Hand

**A/N: It's Three! Be kind. I haven't seen a whole lot of Three's era, so if something about him seems OOC, sorry in advance. ****Anyways, many thanks to you lovely reviewers and followers! I adore each and every one of you! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 47: A Helping Hand**_

"Pardon me for saying so, young lady, but you seem…familiar," the Third Doctor spoke up as he studied Rose, who was still awestruck at the fact that she had run into _him._ "Is there a chance that we have met before?"

Not _before_…just not _yet, _she thought to herself. "Oh, I should think so," she replied with a wide smile.

"Common occurrence, I must say," Three said with a charming grin. No matter what regeneration he was in, the Doctor always had that charm. "Forgive me for running into you like that."

She waved it off. "It's no trouble, really. Just out of curiosity…was that explosion caused by you?"

He scratched his head. "Why yes, in fact, it was. Had a little trouble with an Auton that somehow returned after I had just defeated them a few weeks ago."

"The plastic men, right?" Rose asked. "I dealt with them, too, once. Had an arm attack me and everything."

"How unfortunate. They are quite the nuisances."

"Luckily, you saved the day, just like always," she said genuinely.

Three smiled again. "Of course, it's what I do."

And it's what he did best, regardless of the situation. Whenever the entire universe was at stake, only one man was the one to save it. Always him. No matter how many times he changed his face, his intentions were always intact.

Something had occurred to her. This particular incarnation of the Doctor was driven mostly by science, among other things. When he was exiled from home, he became the scientific advisor at UNIT, meaning he could have available parts needed to make a digital recorder and an autocue. Perfect! Though this was a paradoxical situation, as long as her current Doctor came nowhere near his younger self, then no be done.

She began to ask him for help. "Doctor, I—"

"Rose!"

Then the sound of _her_ Doctor coming from a distance caused her to whip her head around. How'd he know she was outside? If he was waiting up for her back at the flat, he might've worried that something happened and went out in search for her. Oh, boy, is he in for quite the surprise.

The Doctor called for Rose as he sprinted down the street. If his timing was correct—which it always was—she should've arrived back at the flat eight point three five minutes ago. Their workplace wasn't too far of a distance away, but neither she nor Martha was there. The latter mentioned that she was joining Billy at his job, but the former had no other plans. He hoped she hadn't run into trouble like her usual jeopardy friendly self. Just as he was about to communicate through their link, he passed by a corner and saw her standing there and came to a stop.

"There you—"

Relief shot through him to see that she was perfectly fine…but then his calmness turned into complete shock when he saw her standing with himself. Well, his _younger_ self, rather. His _third_. While he should be concerned about the paradox, he stepped over to them with a smile on his face.

"Hello!" he greeted.

"Oh, good grief," Three muttered, causing Rose to giggle.

"Look who I ran into," she said with a grin, gesturing at his other incarnation.

He chuckled, placing his hands in his pockets. "Should've known this would happen eventually. If it isn't _the Doctor._"

Three nodded. "I see you've heard of me as well."

"Oh, of course! Big fan, you know. From the frilly shirts to the scientific brilliance and that wonderful car." He glanced around. "Speaking of which, where's Bessie? Surely she's around here somewhere."

Rose held herself back from laughing at Three's face. "Not too far away," he answered. "There's something…interesting about you. _Both_ of you."

"That's us," the Doctor said casually. "Just interesting people. Fanboy and fangirl. Shiver and Shake…" he waved his hand dismissively before grabbing Rose's. "Anyway, it's been a pleasure meeting you, Doctor. Do take care of old Bessie."

He made a move to leave, but Rose stopped him and stayed in her spot. He gave her a pointed look and raised his brows. They couldn't risk another paradox…or at least a _worse_ one than right now. But of course, this was his stubborn _Rose._

She turned back to his third self. "Doctor, we need your help."

"Of course, my dear. With what?" he asked.

"You're an expert in science, yeah?"

Three nodded with a proud smile on his face. "I'm an expert in many fields, my dear."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and Rose noticed. Ignoring him, she asked Three, "Can you help us with something? We need a digital recorder with a teleprompter and an autocue."

"Quite specific for this time period," Three commented. "Not from around here, I take it."

"No, but neither are you," she said cheekily.

The Doctor snorted. This _would_ happen. He just knew it. His wife and his past self _flirting_ with each other. "And we need to get out of here as quick as possible," he spoke up. "Back to where we belong."

Rose chuckled, patting his arm. "He's jittery, this one. Can't stay in one place at one time."

"Neither can _you,"_ he retorted. "You're just as bad as me."

"We're very alike, sir," Three said. "_Far_ too similar, in fact. Is there a chance that you could be…?"

Taking a deep breath and smirking, the Doctor nodded. "Take a close look," he said.

Three placed a finger to his chin as he observed him. "To my understanding, both of you are from the future. It could easily be told by the clothes you're wearing." He turned to Rose. "21st century, to be precise." He looked back at the Doctor. "And if my calculations are correct—which is usually all of the time—you, sir, are a future regeneration of mine."

He nodded. "Pretty easy to tell, innit?"

"Not as hard. My appearance may change, but the eyes never do—always old. So it seems that I take a younger appearance once again?"

The Doctor sniffed and adjusted his tie. "Yep." He tilted his head and scratched his sideburn. "Weeell…it'll be a while."

"I see." Rose chuckled and he turned to her. "So this must be your assistant, then."

"Oh, she's _far_ more than that," the Doctor said with a smile, nudging Rose's shoulder.

"Fair enough. I'm sure it's something to look forward to. She seems like quite the help," Three said with a smile. "Now, you require some help." He gave the Doctor a pointed look. "Might I ask _why_ you're crossing into our timeline? Surely there's a _good_ explanation as to why you're violating the first Law of Time."

"Had a run in with the Weeping Angels," the Doctor answered flatly.

"The Lonely Assassins," Three strung out with a nod. "Such a fascinating race of pests, they are. Where's your TARDIS?"

"That's the problem, we're _stranded,"_ Rose cut in. "She's stuck in the present. Or I should say _our_ present in 2007."

"And the reason for needing a digital recorder with a teleprompter and an autocue?"

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively. "Long story. And the longer we stay here and chat, the sooner a hole will tear in the fabric of reality."

"Can't have that," Three said. "But should one turn up, just reverse the polarity," he pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Could stabilize it for the time being."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that," the Doctor said, bringing his own out.

"Oh. That's an interesting mark," Three commented. "Then allow me to assist you. I've the necessary parts for you at UNIT. Come, this way," he began walking to the other end of the street. "Bessie's just around the corner."

Following him, Rose nudged the Doctor's shoulder. "Had an attachment to an old roadster, eh?"

"Well, of course I did. It's not like I had much transport at this time," he replied with a frown.

"I know. Still, at least we're gonna have help now, yeah?"

"But the paradox—" he warned.

"Doctor, it's gonna be okay," she said, rubbing his arm. "We shouldn't be long, right? Before you know it, we'll be back in the TARDIS."

He glanced down at her and smiled. "Yeah."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

An enlightened sense of nostalgia rushed through the Doctor as he and Rose rode in his old, beloved Bessie driven by his third self. He forgot how much he enjoyed this type of transportation, even though it was during one of the worst times of his life. Of course the _absolute_ worst time of his life has yet to come for his past self. He had a very long while until _that_ unfortunate circumstance would fall upon him.

The longer they remained in his presence the riskier the current situation was becoming. Paradoxes are always burdening and dodgy, but he hated when these things happened. And they always seemed to occur despite the rules. As much as he was itching to get away, this actually _would _prove to be beneficial. After weeks of tearing his hair out over a possible solution, now he could get the required parts for creating the electronic equipment.

They arrived at UNIT and the Doctor pulled a face. It's been a long time since he's entered this organization and it was everything he had remembered. All he needed to see was the Brigadier. _What a reaction that would be. _But he wanted their arrival to be as inconspicuous as possible. Glancing around, he noticed a couple of the officers giving him odd looks. Even they could tell both he and Rose didn't belong here. Too obvious. At least they didn't know his identity. For all they knew he was just a bloke with a lovely blonde woman observing equipment. Any questioning would blow their cover, so he just kept his mouth shut.

Coming up to a familiar room filled with tables and various scientific materials, beakers, and other various items, he slipped on his specs and immediately went to work. The TARDIS—his _past_ one—was up ahead. Not seeing his beautiful ship for two weeks seemed a much longer duration, so just seeing a version of it made the Doctor smile.

Rose also felt a sense of home when she saw the Old Girl. Of course it wasn't the one she's known for nearly three years, but it was just as beautiful back then; still the same blue police box, but looking a bit faded. Walking up to it, she placed a hand on the wood and heard a strange hum in her mind. But it felt like She still recognized her.

"Bit vintage when compared to the one you're used to, I assume," Three spoke up from behind.

"Oh, not that much. But there's nothing wrong with the classics," she said with a smile as she stroked the door frame.

Three nodded. "Definitely not. Would you care to take a look inside?"

"Sure. I'd open it myself, but my key was stolen by those bleedin' psychopathic Angels."

"Oh, that's not good," he said, pulling out his own key and inserting it into the lock. "Don't worry, dear, you'll be reunited in no time."

Twisting it, he opened the door and stepped back for her to enter. That familiar creaking sound made Rose smile. Never changed. Stepping inside she instantly felt another hum. Compared to the current TARDIS, this console room was much smaller. While in the Doctor's mind she saw the many themes of the beautiful ship, and now she was in the retro desktop version, illuminating in white. The console reminded her of a video game controller…sort of. It was a hexagonal shape with buttons of various colors, and the time rotor wasn't as large. All in all it wasn't a bad look, but she's grown an attachment to the coral theme.

"She has quite the fondness for you," Three said, following her and rounding the console. "Must have recognized your presence."

_Bad Wolf. Not surprising._ "Oh, we go way back," she said, running a hand over the time rotor. "'Course She sounds a bit…" she trailed off, lowering her hand.

"Uncomfortable?" he supplied. "That's expected. You're out of your timeline and interacting with Her." He gave her a thoughtful look. "Though it seems you two _are…connected,_ in some sense. How can that be? None of my other companions could do so—save for my granddaughter."

Before Rose could think of a response, her Doctor popped his head through the door, an annoyed expression on his face. "Come on! We don't have time to just stand around and catch up with recent affairs."

She responded to him with an eye roll. "Relax, Doctor."

"I will if we hurry up before a hole the size of the Netherlands tears through the universe," he looked around his old TARDIS design. "Oh, the round things," he said lightly, studying the circular patterns lighting up the room. "I love the round things."

"Yeah, why are they rounded?" Rose asked. "What's their actual purpose?"

Both Doctors answered in unison. "No idea."

She snorted. "Right, they're all just for design."

"I suppose, if you like," Three said.

Rose turned to her Doctor. "How come they're not round anymore?"

"You changed the round things?" Three asked, slightly offended. "To what exactly?"

The Doctor rubbed his eyes underneath the rim of his glasses. "Well, they're sort of…hexagonal. Like your console."

"And what's the theme?"

"Coral."

Three stared at him blankly. "Coral?" He repeated after a beat. "How…grunge."

"Oi! I happen to be fond of the design, thank you very much," the Doctor cried. "Now, catching up and going down memory lane has been a pleasure, but we have some work to do." He shot Rose a look before darting out of the TARDIS and back into the lab.

Three arched an eyebrow at him as he left. "I see my mindset never changed after all these years."

Rose giggled. "Nope."

"Though my fashion sense is a bit unorthodox in the future."

She snorted, thinking about his other fashion choices from the cricket uniform with the stick of celery to the splattering rainbow outfit. "Says the man that wears a magician's cape," Rose teased. Three turned to her, and she patted his arm. "But it suits you, Doctor. At least _this_ you."

He smiled. "Thank you. But I must ask…_trainers_ with a pinstriped suit?"

"Well, yeah, for all the running," Rose told him happily. "And you could look sharp while doing it."

He laughed, leading her out as they exited the TARDIS. Heading over to one of the tables where her Doctor worked frantically, trying to retrieve the necessary part for their device.

"What are you looking for, Doctor?" Rose asked.

He opened a drawer and shut it immediately, running a hand through his hair. "A cylindrical tube or scope of some kind for the lens." He ran over to the other end and scavenged through a box of items.

"Now, listen to me," Three said, coming to stand beside him. "While I'm sure you know your way around here beings as you were once me, but as it's still currently my workspace, let me find you the parts."

The Doctor stopped his motions. "Right. Sorry," he waved a hand by his head. "Just a little…"

"Tense?"

He nodded. "Yeah, suppose so."

Three beckoned him with his hand, leading them over to another table. Once there he took out various mechanical parts from a drawer. "If I'm correct—and I usually always am—to make an autocue teleprompter we'll have to start with creating the closed-circuit camera system."

"Have you any mirrors available that are quality sized?" the Doctor asked as he examined the parts before lifting one up. "Any type of transparent plates? Glass? I couldn't find the right kind anywhere. Especially in our temporary flat."

"Residing in a temporary flat?" Three said with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's…interesting."

"Don't you mean _terrifying_?" Rose stretched out.

"Quite," Three commented, before saying. "Wait a second. How did you _afford_ one? I rarely carry Earth currencies. I'm more than certain I haven't broken that habit in the future."

"Well…" the Doctor drawled.

"He borrowed money from his savings account," Rose said, putting him on the spot. "Or I should say _yours._ I mean, it's still the same one."

"Roooose," the Doctor whined in a low voice.

"Then that explains why the Brigadier confronted me a few weeks ago," Three realized.

The Doctor rubbed his eyes underneath the rim of his glasses and shook his head. "Yeah. So…any mirrors?" he said, trying to get back at the more important topic at hand.

Three nodded. "Of course." He walked over to another table and reached under to pull out various plates of glass. Coming back over to the table to join them, he said out of curiosity. "May I ask how, in the future, I seemed to have forgone any available resources? Usually I keep spare parts in my pockets."

The Doctor sniffed. "Ah, well…it somehow slipped my mind. In my defense I wasn't expecting to be zapped back to 1969…just yet."

"You were warned about this circumstance, and it never occurred to you to prepare yourself?"

"Weeell…a lot's been happening…personally." His eyes went over to Rose as he threw her a wink.

"I see. I suppose I'll understand one day," Three said. "Now then. Back to the job at hand."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

So much time passed as Rose stood by and watched both Doctors working together, easily going with the flow as the autocue teleprompter was finally coming along. Granted, it took about an hour and a half, but it went by quickly. From their explanations, its mechanisms were pretty simple.

When filming the paper script placed inside should be able to scroll at the same time as it was displayed on a monitor to read in front of the lens. Because of the use of a sheet of glass, the image of the script would reflect off of its surface, allowing the presenter to read everything without looking directly into the camera. Of course their explanation was much more confusing with their constant technobabbling, but Rose was able to decipher the most important keys.

As they finished up, they both observed the final product proudly and shook each other hands, praising each other's brilliance. Rose inwardly rolled her eyes. Always the same man. Rolling it out of the building, they lifted it up and placed it into Bessie before driving back to their flat. Since the large object was taking up the entire backseat, Rose had to sit up front in her Doctor's lap. Looking over her shoulder she saw a mischievous grin on his face and she swatted his chest.

It was definitely going to be harder to control themselves now that they're bonded.

When they came to a stop a few blocks away from their flat, they exited the old roadster and pulled out the autocue teleprompter from the back seat.

"Now then," the Doctor proclaimed, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. "Time we were off. Can't have the universe implode."

"Definitely not," Three agreed.

"So…what have you been up to?" the Doctor asked curiously. "Wandering around with Liz? Dealt with the Autons, right? Oh! Ran into them a couple years ago myself. Well, not like _this,_ I was a different man back then." He patted Rose. "Rose was there. Was our very first meeting in fact. What a day that was…" he trailed off with a small smile.

Three turned to Rose. "I see I've required quite the gob in the future."

Rose giggled. "Not much as changed, though." Leaning her head on her Doctor's shoulder, she tried to speak through their link._ "Always the same man."_

Three's head jerked up, a shocked expression on his face. Apparently her feelings and thoughts rippled through and transferred over to the Doctor's younger self, too. That's an amusing thought.

"What was…? How did you…?" He said, studying her again. "No one's meant to be able to do such a thing."

"I'm not just _anyone,"_ Rose told him sincerely.

"But…you're not a Time Lord. You're a _human._ How is that even _possible?"_

"Oh, she has her ways," the Doctor said casually. "She's very convincing. Like I said, she far _more_ than just an assistant. Or human, for that matter. It's…a bit complicated."

Three still had his eyes fixed on Rose. "So not only do you have a connection to the TARDIS, but you have a connection to _him._ To _me._ Does that mean that you're…"

That disbelieving look in his eyes was all too familiar. Rose had seen that very look on her Doctor last night before their consummation, sealing their forever with the completion of the bond. He never believed someone could be so close to him and not run away. He never thought he'd love someone who'd love him back. But the best for him was yet to come.

Rose stepped up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You'll find out one day."

Three smiled and took her hand. "You're an impossible young lady, but a fascinating one at that." He raised her hand up to press a kiss to the back of it in a gentlemanly manner. "I look forward to the day I meet you, my dear."

"I know you will," she said with a wide smile.

Call it intuition, but she could practically hear the Doctor rolling his eyes behind her. Was he actually _jealous_ of his past self? Seemed like something he'd do. She felt his arm return around her waist as he gently tugged her back.

"_Much_ to look forward to, I suppose," Three said with a chuckle. "Well, then. Good luck to you, Doctor. And you, Rose."

"Oh, wait," she went over to his younger self and whispered something in his ear. Though the Doctor didn't hear exactly what she had said, it made the man smile again. She came back over to him and looped her arm through his. "Thanks for helping us. And…remember what I told you."

He bowed his head. "It was my pleasure." He went over to the Doctor, extending his hand. "Good to see my future is in good hands."

The Doctor offered a small smile and shook his hand. "All my love to long ago."

And with that, they parted ways and headed down the street to their flat, pushing the teleprompter on its wheels while his past self accompanied Bessie and drove off.

Rose noticed his discomfort and rubbed his arm comfortingly. "Hey, it's okay. I know you didn't wanna run into him…or _you,_ for that matter—"

"Only because the universe would've imploded," he told her. "Bad enough it was already in danger."

"Wasn't expecting him to recognize me, though," Rose admitted.

"You're one of a kind, Rose. Hard not to know," he said proudly.

"So all this time you knew who I was, but couldn't remember it all?"

He took a deep breath. "Weeell…it's all a bit…wibbly-wobbly," he said. "Like I said, the bond is permanent, so it could even be felt in the past. Not as much force, twas but an echo in _his_ mind, but it's so strong it could ripple through Time itself."

Rose nodded. "That means you always thought I was special even before you knew me."

"Oh, yes," he smiled. "Knew it right off the bat. It must have always been in the back of my mind my whole life until I finally came upon you."

There was a brief pause before Rose said, "Did you say 'wibbly-wobbly'?"

"Yeah…the theoretical explanation is extremely too long, and it…kind of got away from me," he admitted.

She chuckled. "So let's see, there's jiggery pokery, that…spatio-magic-door thing, timey-wimey, and now wibbly-wobbly."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Mocking my vocaburary, are we?"

"Maybe just a little." He growled and she laughed. "_He_ won't remember us, right?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Luckily he's already suffering with memory suppression after being exiled, so our encounter should cancel out the paradox and prevent any severe damage." He paused. "Little does he know of what's in store for him," he said with a hollow voice.

"Don't dwell on that, Doctor. He's got a long while til any of that happens. D'you know what I told him?"

He nodded. "That the best was yet to come and he should hang in there."

Rose stopped them in their tracks. "Wait. How did you…?"

He tapped a finger to his temple. "I remembered."

"Eavesdropper," she joked, nudging his shoulder. "But if you knew that, then so will he. He fought through all the struggles and look at what came out of it." She lifted a hand to press it to his cheek. "You hung in there despite all the pain. You fought it all on your own…and now you're not alone anymore."

He smiled as he bent down to kiss her forehead. "Always making me better," he said softly.

"It's what I do," she said casually. They resumed walking and pushing the device. "Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"You weren't actually _jealous_ of your past self were you?"

"What? Of course not!" He said indignantly. "Why would I?"

"C'mon," she laughed. "Admit it. You were jealous of him for a moment."

"He's brilliant, yes. And very…dapper. And appeared to be fawning over you." He sniffed. "Me, jealous? I think not."

She patted his hand. "Whatever you say, love. But I'll bet he's eager to know exactly what happens the next time he's stuck in 1969," she added with a sly grin.

The Doctor hummed. "Oh, I think he'll enjoy it."

"At least something good came out of this year for you after all."

He clicked his tongue and winked at her. _Definitely_ not a bad year anymore.

* * *

**Sorry this chapter's a bit short, but hopefully you enjoyed Three's little cameo. There's one more chapter for the Blink, and then we're off again.**


	48. Homeward Bound

**A/N: Posting this a day early simply because today marks the 10 year anniversary of the day the Doctor took Rose's hand and whispered, "Run!" **

**Anyway, the last part of Blink. Hope I didn't end this too fast for you, but I think I've covered everything. ****As always, many thanks to you lovely reviewers and followers! You're all great motivation ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 48: Homeward Bound**_

Martha sat on the couch with Billy, waiting for the Doctor and Rose to get back. They should've been back by now, and she worried if they got into trouble, which was always a common occurrence with those two. They were never satisfied until one of them put themselves in great danger and freaked out the other. But then again knowing them they were being their giddy, mischievous selves, and probably snogging each other's brains out in an alleyway. Nice to know things between them worked out for the best.

She got a chance to get to know a little more about Billy in the meantime. He's been with them for a few days now, but they rarely talked about his life. They both told each other about their lives, from childhoods to currents—before being stranded, of course.

"You've been with them almost a year?" Billy asked Martha, who nodded in response. "Have they always been so…?"

"Giddy?" She supplied with a laugh. "All the time. Only difference was they weren't married until a few days ago."

"So, they decided to wed while trapped in 1969?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

Martha shrugged. "Seemed like something they'd do. The enigmatic couple, never knowing what they'll do next."

Billy shook his head. "I still don't believe the life you live. It comes straight from the telly."

Martha laughed. "Tell me about it. But I'm sorry you fell into this."

"It's not your fault," he said. "Not yours or the Doctor and Rose's. If this is what I have to do, then it has to be done. I just have to wait for Ms. Sally Sparrow to turn up." He chuckled. "So much for that drink. But," he raised his mug. "A cuppa with you makes up for everything."

Martha smiled and raised her own, clinking it with his before taking a sip. The sound of the front door opening got their attention. Turning around they saw the Doctor and Rose entering pushing what appeared to be a large recording camera system.

"Here we go!" The Doctor said happily. "Now we're in order."

"Where'd you get _that_?" Martha asked, placing her mug down on the table.

"Oh, the details don't really matter," he said dismissively, pushing the monitor off to the side. "All you need to know is that we're one step closer to getting back to the TARDIS. Molto bene!"

"We ran into his past self," Rose told her. "He helped us build it."

Martha stared in disbelief. She figured something had come up since they both were out for a while, but she wasn't expecting _that_. "Wasn't that…dangerous?"

"Oh yeah," the Doctor answered with raised eyebrows. "The entire universe was in danger of imploding with just a simple glance. But! No harm done now. Now all we need is for Billy boy here to work on the DVDs."

"I've actually learned a great deal of things about the production already," Billy said. "If you want, we can start it up right now. I just have to get some things ready back at work."

"Seriously?" Rose said.

"Oh, brilliant!" The Doctor cheered. "Rose, fetch the transcript. I've got a conversation to finish."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

As Billy went off to his workplace to be ready for them when they finished, Martha sat off to the side while Rose set up the autocue teleprompter. Both her Doctor and his third self explained the properties of the device, and—while their explanations were complicating—she understood the most important parts. She took the transcript out of the folder and inserted it in a specific port, preparing it.

The Doctor came to stand beside her and watched as she worked on the monitor. "You remember how I told you how to use this?"

"Yeah, got it covered," she assured. "Just get in the frame and I'll start this up."

He nodded. "Try not to be too distracting," he told her with mock seriousness. She swatted his arm when he snickered then leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips before he moved to sit on the couch.

From behind the camera, Rose made a gesture to tell the Doctor the film was rolling. With a sniff he reached in his jacket to pull out his specs, putting them on as he read the lines on the teleprompter said by the others.

**_"The Doctor."_**

**_"Who's the Doctor?"_**

**_"He's the Doctor."_**

"Yep, that's me," he said out loud.

**_"Okay, that was scary." _**

**_"No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that."_**

"Yes, I do."

**_"And that."_**

He smirked. "Yep, and _this."_

**_"He can hear us!"_**

**_ "No, he can't. I've got a transcript of everything he says: 'Yep, that's me'. 'Yes, I do'. 'Yep, and__ t__his_—_'"_**

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" the Doctor said, furrowing his brows.

_**"Who are you?"**_

"I'm a time traveller," he answered before adding flatly, "Or I _was,_ I'm stuck in 1969."

Rose snorted from behind the camera but Martha suddenly came on-screen. _"We're_ stuck! All of Space and Time he promised me, now I've got a job in a shop with his wife. We've gotta support _him!_ But now that they're newlyweds, they won't get off each other!"

Both he and Rose's eyes widened. "Martha!" they cried in unison.

"What'd I say about _discretion?"_ the Doctor squeaked.

"Sorry," she murmured.

Rose came out from behind the camera and lightly grabbed Martha's arm, also appearing in the shot. Facing the camera she spoke to it. "For the record, he's had a lot on his mind lately…and he's cheap."

"Rose!" he cried, gesturing at the camera. _"Distracting, much?"_ He said through their link.

She nodded, looking to be suppressing a laugh. "Right. Sorry." She pulled Martha out of the shot. But just before the Doctor would continue the conversation, Rose popped back in for a moment, wiggling her fingers at the camera. "Hello."

The Doctor shook his head and snorted. "Women." Rose smacked his arm but kissed him quickly on the cheek before running back behind the camera. He stared at her with an arched eyebrow._ "Cheeky woman."_

_"Alien git,"_ she responded. He threw her a wink as he read the next line.

_**"I've seen this bit before."**_

He nodded once. "Quite possibly."

_**"1969, that's where you're talking from?"**_

He sighed. "'Fraid so."

**_"But you're replying to me. You can't know exactly what I'm gonna say forty years before I say it!"_**

"Thirty-eight," he corrected.

_**"How's this possible?"**_

"People don't understand Time," he told her. "It's not what you think it is."

**_"Then what is it?"_**

"Complicated."

_**"Tell** **me."**_

He blinked once. _"Very_ complicated." He heard Rose snort again and he briefly glanced up at her with a look.

_**"I'm clever, I'm listening. Don't patronize me. People have died. I'm not happy. Tell me."**_

The Doctor averted his gaze for a moment and licked his lips as he tried to explain the theory, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's…more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…timey wimey…stuff."

Rose giggled from behind the camera, and he shot her another look. "_Got away from you again, huh?"_

**_"Yeah, I've seen this before. You said that sentence got away from you."_**

"It _did_ get away from me, yeah…" he said out loud to both the camera and Rose, biting his lip and looking off to the side again. He heard Rose snort again and he shook his head, reading the next line.

_**"Next you say: 'Well, I can hear you'."**_

"Well, I _can_ hear you," he said.

_**"Impossible."**_

"Not hear you _exactly,_ but I know everything you're going to say," he clarified.

_**"How can you know what I'm gonna say?"**_

The Doctor nodded to his right. "Look to your left." He paused for a moment and pointed at the screen. "I've got a copy of the finished transcript, it's on my autocue."

_**"How can you have a copy of the finished transcript? It's still being written!"**_

"I told you, I'm a time traveller! I got it in the future."

_**"Okay, let me get my head around this. You're reading aloud from a transcript of a conversation you're still having?"**_

The Doctor waved his hands dismissively. "Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey…"

_**"Actually, nevermind that."**_

"What matters is we can _communicate,"_ the Doctor stressed. "We have got big problems now. They've taken the blue box, haven't they? The Angels have the phone box."

_**"What d'you mean angels? You mean those statue things?"**_

"Creatures from another world," he told.

_**"But they're just statues."**_

He shook his head. "Only when you _see_ them."

_**"What does that mean?"**_

Taking a deep breath, he began to explain. "The Lonely Assassins—that's what they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly. And they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defense system ever evolved—they're quantum-locked. They don't exist when they are being observed. The moment they're seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice, it's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn into stone. And you can't kill a _stone._ Of course, a stone can't kill _you_ either, but then you turn your head away. Then you _blink._ Then, oh yes, it can. That's why they cover their eyes - they're not weeping, they can't risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. Loneliest creatures in the universe. And…I'm sorry. I am very, very sorry. It's up to you now."

_**"What am I supposed to do?"**_

**"**The blue box, it's my time machine. There's a world of time energy in there that they could feast on forever, but the damage they would do could switch off the Sun. You have got to send it back to me," he told.

**_"How? How!?"_**

No more lines appeared as it came to an end. He took off his glasses and put them away. "And…that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last I've got. I dunno what stopped you talking but I can guess: they're coming." He shifted closer to the screen. "The Angels are coming for you, but listen, your life could depend on this: _don't _blink. Don't even _blink._ Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you could believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and _don't blink! _Good luck."

With that, Rose stopped the recording. "Now what? We just give this to Billy?"

"Yep," he responded, standing from the couch. "Now it's up to him. Him and one Sally Sparrow."

"So…it got away from you again, eh?" she teased.

He sighed. "I suppose." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "No help from you, though. You, missy, are troublesome."

"Takes one to know one," she retorted. "Not my fault I'm too _distracting_." He huffed and placed a kiss to her hair.

"Sorry about blurting that out earlier," Martha apologized. "I didn't mean to mention your…personal business."

"As long as there's no details," Rose muttered, noticeably blushing.

The Doctor cleared his throat and tugged at his tie. "Annnnyways," he drawled. "Let's head over to Billy and give him the recording. If he says he's ready, then he needs it as soon as possible."

Popping the recording out of the slot, the trio headed over to Billy's workplace to drop off the recording. He said he'd inform them when he was finished.

"Now what do we do?" Martha asked.

"Just wait," he answered.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Three days had passed by. Three days of anxiously awaiting for the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place—which of course was the TARDIS. The trio sat on the couch while Billy left early to further work on publishing the DVDs. In that time Rose has been testing out the bond profoundly, transferring various feelings, speeches, images and thoughts—which the majority of were _highly_ suggestive and risqué, though the Doctor humored her and gladly accepted them. To see her put so much effort into something that was a bit foreign to her was heartswarming indeed. Being together was one thing, but this was on a whole other level.

The girls decided not to go to work today, calling in to say they were out due to personal reasons. Since they were waiting for the end of this mess to come so they could finally head back out to the stars, they'd have to be ready at the first chance.

Suddenly their spare phone began to ring. Luckily there was another one since the Doctor vandalized the main one for his timey-wimey detector. The Doctor ran over to it and picked it up. After a moment, a manic grin split his face.

"Good news?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed. "Pack up, girls. We should be home pretty soon!"

Gathering all of their belongings, the three travelers left the flat to make a few important stops. First, the girls went to their job to inform the manager of their leave. When everything went smoothly, they headed over to their tenant's main residence to do the same.

After that, they visited Billy one last time. "All set," the man told them. "Should be able to get these published."

The Doctor smiled. "Brilliant!"

Billy nodded. "Wasn't too hard. Not a bad career to get into other than police work."

"Good pay, too, yeah?" Rose said with a chuckle.

"Definitely!"

"So…" Martha began. "Guess this is it," she said with a sad smile.

"That it is. Time for you three to head back into that blue box and fly around the moon," he said lightly.

"We're very, very sorry for the inconvenience," the Doctor said apologetically. "No one would want to be switched out of their normal lives."

The man shrugged. "True. But it happened and it's what has to be. I can live with that."

Rose bit her lip. This poor man had his own life back in his own time—in their present—and now was confined to 1969, a time where his own parents were young. How he seemed to take this all so well was astounding. Culture shocked for about fifteen minutes since he arrived here, and he's been here for almost a week living normally as if not much has changed. And it was a dramatic change, at that.

"Thank you, Billy," Rose said. "You've been a big help."

"You know," Martha spoke up again, "Our lease was on a temporary agreement since we wouldn't be staying too long. You can take it."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's the least we could do for you. You're gonna need it."

"Thanks a lot. And I promise to give Sally the message the next time I see her…which I know won't be for a long time, but I won't let you all down."

Martha gave him a hug. "Take care."

Billy laughed. "You, too." When she relaxed herself, he turned to the Doctor and Rose. "And you two…enjoy bein' married. Have fun on your honeymoon," he added with a wink.

They both blushed furiously and bid him one last goodbye before leaving the workplace. "Now what?" Rose asked.

"Now…we go back to where this all started," the Doctor answered.

Taking a long walk into the town, they made it to their destination: Wester Drumlins. Entering the structure, Rose felt another chill. Past or present, this place made her skin crawl. The Doctor led them down in the basement, saying he read in the folder that it would return there.

"So, we just wait here?" Rose asked.

"Yep," he answered.

"The TARDIS is supposed to come back here? In a dark, chilly, albeit creepy basement?" Martha added, glancing around.

"Yep."

"When exactly?"

He paused. "Ehm…soon."

Martha stared at him. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Well…not really," he admitted, before quickly assuring, "But! There's no reason to worry. We'll be outta here in no time."

"Hope so," Rose said. "'Cause we're pretty much homeless right now."

Martha crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm gonna kill you if we end up sleeping in this basement."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh, come now. I'm sure it should be coming—"

He was cut off when a familiar wheezing sound rushed in their ears. Up ahead the TARDIS was materializing. They each cheered triumphantly and shared a group hug before running over to the beautiful ship, hugging the wooden exterior. Pushing the door open, the creaking sound followed by the wheezing from the time rotor caused them to grin widely and laugh as they darted for the console. The Doctor wasted no time in sending them into the Vortex.

"Right! Back in the groove, allons-y!"

Pulling the lever he did a little hop and spun around once they took off. He stopped in front of Rose, seizing her by the upper arms to bend down and give her a brief kiss then went back to the console.

Rose placed a hand to a coral strut and looked up at the ceiling, loving the welcoming hums filling her mind. "Missed you, Old Girl."

"_My Wolf_," she hummed. "_I sense that my Thief has finally come around_._And you were patient and determined the entire time. Well done._"

She smiled. "Yeah, I was. Thank you."

Unbeknownst to them, the Doctor was still had a manic grin splitting his face. Finally they were out of that dreadful year and back across the stars. Although…looking back, it wasn't _that_ bad of a year anymore. Definitely not. The golden presence lingering in his mind justified that, and enlivened him.

"_My Thief,_" the TARDIS hummed in his mind. "_You have finally come to your senses and granted my Wolf the access she's been ready for._"

"_Yes_," he answered. "_Yes, I have. Thanks, Old Girl_."

"_I've done all I could, now you go make the best out of it_."

He chuckled. _Cheeky ship._

"So," Martha began. "Are we finally gonna get to that beach you promised us? After all it's your honeymoon now."

Exchanging a look at Rose he smiled widely. "Oh, yes. Onto the islands!"

* * *

**So that concludes Blink. Time for the honeymoon!**

**Response to the Guest reviewer who asked if I would be doing a Series 4 rewrite: Oh, yes! I've had plans to do it the moment I started this one. :D**


	49. Serendipity Part 1

**A/N: Those last previous chapters have really made me gushy, and this one was no exception. ****As always, much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers!**

* * *

_**Chapter 49: Serendipity Part 1**_

The girls went straight for the wardrobe room the moment the Doctor told them where they were headed. It's been months since they've been anywhere warm, and where he had originally planned to take them before the whole Weeping Angels situation was the ideal destination: the islands of Kaao'Tilia.

Weeks ago he had promised to take them there for a holiday after having to deal with his human self for over two months during the whole Family mess but, of course things didn't go according to plan as they were zapped into the past. What they thought would be an annoying if not nerve-racking experience having to be confined to one place in one time—which it definitely _was_—turned out to be a dramatic train ride. But the ending was more than satisfying to say the least. Now he had a reason to _love_ the year 1969.

Even now he still couldn't comprehend the what happened within the whirlwind of events in the last two and a half weeks. When he was told that he would get stuck in that horrid year a few months back not only was he not looking forward to being stranded again, but he was just in plain anguish what with the severe headaches tempting him to bang his head against a wall. He was undoubtedly dreading it, through he figured it was expected since those types of incidents happened to him in the worst of times.

However, something he wasn't expecting came up and turned his mood all around for the most part. Just like in Noel, he had an extra push, the one he's needed but brushed aside for so long to go the distance, so to speak. But another miracle had happened a number of days ago. He felt…pure. Well, maybe not cleansed as he still held in every misstep and regret inside, but he felt rejuvenated, in a sense. And it was all done by the persistence and grace of his angel.

A new start for them. Another new beginning. They're _new,_ new, new beginning. _How many new beginnings were they going to have?_ It didn't matter because each one enlivened him up more and more than the last. And now they reached the peak, and nothing was going to bring them down. Especially not right now.

In a way, this trip could be considered their honeymoon. Well…a proper one, at that. Never did he believe that he'd even plan one of those, but as they've wed it's only appropriate. Speaking of which, he thought about renewing the ceremony. What they did back in that flat, as wondrous and special as it was, could've been even better had they been onboard the TARDIS. Not that it wasn't brilliant, because it _was._ Rassilon, it was _more_than that. _Amazing,_ in fact. Actually, there were no words in all of the languages of the universe—save his own from home—that could do justice to how spectacular the whole experience felt. Only feelings.

Rose, while still in need of some practice sessions to further advance her mentality when containing the bond, already proved to be pretty well developed in such an early stage. Lots of improvements were to be made, but once again she had surprised him. Something she was brilliant at doing. Like his beautiful ship had been telling him all this time: she was ready. His lovely, wonderful girl.

A warm, soothing hum came to his mind and he smiled. Looking up at the ceiling the Doctor sent his love and apologies to his _other_ favorite girl. How either of them dealt with him was a mystery he'd never solve, but it's fun not knowing the answer to everything. Heading down the corridor, he went to his wardrobe to find a beach outfit.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

After going through the many selections of outfits appropriate for humid temperatures, the girls settled on simple sundresses—Rose sporting a magenta colored one with small yellow polka dots and Martha in a crimson one with cream colored stripes. They carried a travel bag containing their swimsuits along with other items. It's been a while since the girls have been anywhere warm and calming, so they were going to enjoy the relaxation.

Rose couldn't help but feel giddy inside. Or…more than she's been for last number of days, rather. This was pretty much her and the Doctor's honeymoon. _Honeymoon._ Who would have thought.

Exiting the wardrobe, the girls waited in the console room for the Doctor. "And he says _we_ take too long to get ready," Martha said.

"He's probably debatin' what pair of shorts he thinks he'd look good in," Rose snorted. "Hopefully nothing that looks like an exploding unicorn."

Martha laughed. "That's awfully specific."

"If you've seen the things he's worn over the years, you'll only hope he chooses something…normal enough."

"Oh, I can imagine." She paused before tapping Rose on the arm. "So…honeymoon suite, eh? How's it feel being _married_ to him?"

Rose smiled shyly and brushed back her hair. "A whole bunch of things. For one it all feels like a dream still. I mean, I've always wondered if he'd ever do something seeming a little…domestic, but then again he can be a bit unpredictable." She laughed. "Full of surprises, that one."

Martha snorted. "Definitely."

"No, but really, it's just…" she trailed off, but the smile stuck on her face finished the sentence perfectly.

Those two were so gushy with each other it seemed too perfect. Their relationship could be one from a fairytale, one that could live happily ever after. And with them it actually _could_ beings as how they're able to live forever.

Minutes later the Doctor emerged from the corridor. "Right! Here we go! Suns, sands, pools, and all that other beachy stuff everyone enjoys."

Rose turned to see him wearing a sleeveless white top fitted tightly against his chest with TARDIS blue shorts and…bare feet. It was a rarity to see him without his usual suits and dress shirts. Well…not as such anymore. She shook her head. It didn't matter what the Doctor wore, he would always make it look good. As long as it wasn't a kaleidoscope of colors again like he wore in his younger self.

"Kinda weird seeing you without your pinstripes on," Martha commented. "It's like they're glued onto your body since you don't have anything else to wear."

"Oi, I _do_ have other clothes, you know," he replied with an eye roll.

"That's not all you brought, right?" Rose asked, though she figured she knew the answer already.

He arched an eyebrow at her as he approached them. "Really, Rose? Again with the rhetorical questions?" He patted one of his pockets. "Got my suit folded up in here. You know very well I supply myself with necessary clothing depending on the destination."

"Oh, yeah? What about the time when we were arrested for wearing the color white?"

"_That_ doesn't count," he said.

"Or how 'bout when we were wearing trainers on that one bazaar planet? What about that time?"

The Doctor sighed and scratched his sideburn. "Those were entirely different situations. Besides…they were _unplanned_ trips."

Rose snorted. "Not surprising with _your_ wonky driving."

He grumbled and lifted a hand to gently nudge her nose with the back of his finger. "Now are we done taking jabs? There's a whole new world outside and you wanna stand around lookin' all pretty. C'mon," he darted down the ramp.

The girls followed him as he opened the door and stood back for them to leave first. Right from the doorway the heat could instantly be felt, and not the uncomfortable type. The island they were parked at was vivid, like a photograph on a postcard. But with all of the beautiful beaches back on Earth, none of them could compare to where they landed.

Immediately upon exiting a crisp breeze blew against their hair, an amalgam of aromas from lilac, mint, and other various sweet smells in the air. An endless clear ocean was a short distance ahead, the relaxing sounds of light waves lapping against the shoreline and crashing against the clusters of rocky cliffs, along with a rocky platform leading into the water and the small reefs. Above was a cloudless magenta colored sky with two large yellow suns burning bright, their rays reflecting off of the tides and making them appear golden. Smooth lavender sand covered the landscape with towering, unusually shaped palm trees on the outskirts. Another breeze blew that caused them to wave along with the soft current, soft whispers falling from the branches. No other occupants were present or heard. Just the secluded beach.

"Oh, my God," both Rose and Martha said in unison.

"Kaao'Tilia," the Doctor proclaimed. "Otherwise known as the Land of Eternal Bliss. Consisted entirely of islands and beaches, basically one of the most carefree areas in the 68th century. And one of the most popular _tourist_ destinations. That was the planet's main intentions—to be a place with no troubles of any kind. Not only are the islands attractions, but lots of people come to stare up at the sky at night," he said softly.

"How come?" Rose asked.

"The colors of the sky change significantly." He pointed up at the sky. "See how it's all just one solid color now? All…pink? It doesn't stay that way at night. A swirl of colors mix and transfigure into a light show, in a sense."

"Like the Aurora Borealis," Martha mentioned.

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly. Except the auroral particle acceleration is_very_ different here. The emissions here don't just show reds and greens—it's _every_ color in the spectrum. Most of it has to do with the fact that the days are longer here than on Earth—31, to be exact. The correlations between the magnetic fields and the solar winds are able to create a flickering show of hues. It's actually considered to be the Cosmic Kaleidoscope. It's around mid-day right now. Or…a little later than that. And this is…" he licked his index finger and thrust it in the air. "The Lavoria Island. Oh, lovely! Perfect spot to see it! Front row seats!"

Martha looked up at the expanding sky. "Is there seriously nothing else out here?"

"Of course there is!" The Doctor said, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist. "There's a gift shop on the other side of this planet."

Rose snorted and patted his chest. "Can't have a place without one, right?"

"Nope." He threw her a wink as he continued. "But that's not all. This entire planet is made up of only islands, shops, and shacks. It's not meant for anyone to really reside on, but the small group that _does_ live in the ocean."

"What, are they sea creatures?" Martha asked.

"Technically no. 'Sea creature' implies that they can only live in the water, but the residents here can survive on land as well. Walk on the beaches during the day, swim back into their little castles at night. Luckily, though, this particular island is private and borderline deserted."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "'Borderline'?"

"Well…every once in a while drifters would end up here for a hiding spot."

"Are you saying that we're trespassing?" Martha said, looking around.

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "What? No! Like I said, this entire planet is a popular tourist attraction. This is like a safe haven, somewhere runaways from forced migrations can relax before heading out into the open world to find a new place to live. We're just simple visitors."

Rose shook her head in wonder. She's been to other futuristic islands and beaches before but this one topped the rest. Including her neck to look up at the Doctor, she smiled warmly. "'S beautiful." _Beautiful_ wasn't the appropriate word to describe its actual beauty, but it didn't matter.

He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. Leading them out of the TARDIS's doorway, Rose stopped as she removed her shoes. Stepping onto the sand for the first time with her bare feet she was a little surprised to feel that the grains were cool, slipping through her toes as she curled them. She gently nudged the Doctor in the ribs and giggled as she ran across the vast landscape with her arms out wide, the wind blowing behind her as if she were trying to fly.

Martha stood beside the Doctor watching her as she went. She thought she was always a carefree soul, both her and him. Whenever they were in their own little world it was only them two, no one else could break their moments. She couldn't help but feel like she _was_ trespassing - not on this island, but on their honeymoon. That's what this could be called since they're technically newlyweds now. This was something meant to be shared by the loving couple alone. All they deserved was each other and now that they've finally wed, every bit of their attention would be to each other.

She would be getting in the way of their happiness.

Glancing over at the Doctor, she smiled when she saw a look of deep adoration and veneration on his face as he watched the love of his life skip across the sandy beach. A man who had all of time and space at his fingertips, has seen all kinds of extraordinary things in the universe, and the one thing—the one _person_—that caught his eye the most was _Rose._He had told her that of all the deities in existence she was the only thing he truly believed in. And it was always clear as day the love between those two.

"Martha," the Doctor said softly, bringing her out of her musings. "I've been meaning to say…" he turned to face her, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Slapping the sense into me," he answered, rubbing the spot on the back of his head where she had smacked him almost a week ago. "I deserved it."

She chuckled. "As long as everything worked out for the best, then I did my job."

He made a happy sound in the back of his throat, and brought his gaze back over to Rose in the distance. "That it did."

"I'm shocked. You're not scooping her up in your arms. Usually you two are constantly glued to each other."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "I _am_ capable of maintaining control, you know."

Martha held her hands up. "Hey, I don't need to know any details. Just keep that…craving of yours under control until you two are…more private." He chuckled. She nudged him in the ribs. "Go on, go after her."

Not even hesitating he dragged Martha with him as they caught up to Rose, who was seated on the ground as she stared at the waves. She noticed them coming and immediately scrambled to her feet to run away. The Doctor, however, was too fast as he grabbed her from behind and brought her back down to the sand, laughing like loons.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

After spending some time rolling around in the sand in playful fights, the trio thought it would be nice to test out the waters. The girls were already prepared as their bathing suits were inside their bags. Running back into the TARDIS, they quickly changed.

The Doctor stayed outside as he felt perfectly fine with diving into the ocean with what he was currently wearing. Before he could bang on the doors to ask why they were taking too long to just change into simple swimwear, the girls emerged from the TARDIS. Martha wore a basic purple one piece bathing suit while Rose wore…something that was a little more exposing, but still a modest choice; a two piece set in the closely resembling shade of TARDIS blue with what looked like a faint pinstriped design.

No doubt that was all by his ship's doing. Cheeky ship.

"That's how you're going in?" Rose asked, stepping over to him and gesturing at his outfit.

He looked down at himself. "Why, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing…you sure you'll be comfortable wearing that? I mean…" she trailed off and grinned.

Arching an eyebrow at her he studied her. Oh, this woman. While he felt a little uncomfortable shedding layers in front of their companion, he was always fine around Rose. Grabbing the hem of his shirt he took it off and tossed it to the side, feeling Rose's eyes taking in his appearance.

"_Enjoying the view, are ya?_" he asked cheekily through their link.

"_It's not so bad,_" she answered.

He smiled at her. This was definitely something they would get used to.

"Wow, Doctor, you're going all out for this," Martha joked.

He responded with an eye roll. Sprinting over to the shoreline the three stepped onto the rocky platform where Martha brought a foot out to the edge to test the temperature.

"There's no need to do that," the Doctor told her. "The water temperature correlates with that of the sand." He tapped his own foot against the smooth textured grains beneath their feet. "Not too cold, but still refreshing when underneath a burning sun. Well, two suns that is."

"Just making sure," Martha said as she to the end of the platform and dove in first. "Oh, it's perfect," she chirped once she swam about a foot away.

The Doctor startled Rose when he suddenly took her in his arms, lifting her up bridal style. She squeaked in surprise and looped one of her arms around his neck as he carried her down the platform. Then something had occurred to her. Looking at him she saw a certain flick in his eye. He came to a stop at the edge, still holding her up. Oh, he better not be thinking what she thought he was.

"Don't you _dare_," she warned him, though she was biting back on a laugh.

He tilted his head nonchalantly before doing what she figured he would do: he tossed her into the water. She let out a yelp when she left his arms and landed with a hard splash. Coming back to the surface, she blinked away the droplets from her eyes and took in the sight of a smug looking Doctor.

"So," he began. "How's the water to you, Rose? Good I imagine?"

She responded by rising up and grabbing a hold of his calves, causing him to stumble a bit until she backed up, making him fall into the water with an unmanly squeak. Both she and Martha laughed hysterically. _Just a little thing called payback._

Rising out of the water the Doctor stared at Rose wide eyed, shocked by her actions. He grinned wickedly at her. "Oh, you have _no_ idea what you just started."

Rose threw a teasing smile. "I have a _very_ good idea of what I'm doing."

She splashed some water in his face and swam away with Martha to the deeper end. He was right on their tails as he dove under, picking up his speed as he reached out and grabbed one ankle of each. They shrieked when he attempted to pull them with him, but he let paddle away. If they wanted a chase, then that's what he'd give them. What with his respiratory bypass he was able to hold his breath for a significant amount of time. Doing that, he dipped down again and chased after them inconspicuously.

Not knowing exactly how far they had swam, the girls didn't hear the Doctor directly behind them anymore. Rose wanted to giggle but she knew he wasn't giving up that easily. She just started a water war, and he was more than determined to win. But he was outnumbered two to one since she had Martha on her side. The girls to gang up on him as always.

After a moment, Rose was about to stop and look behind her—which wasn't the wisest decision as we shrieked when a pair of hands grabbed her ankles and pulled her under. Who else could it have been? A manic grin was stretching on his face but she pushed him back and swam her way back to the top. Once again he was quick as he came up and wrapped his arms around her front from behind. Laughing in his hold, she elbowed him in the side which made him release her with an _oomph._Escaping she caught up to Martha, who was floating on her back and gazing at the sky.

"He's coming," Rose told her with a breathless laugh.

Martha straightened out of her position. "He's like a bloody shark, he's so fast."

"Don't tell him that, it'll only inflate his ego more. But we can both take him, right?"

"Definitely."

Awaiting for his arrival, the girls looked down into the water. Despite it being pretty clear it wasn't as transparent since they didn't see where the Doctor was. Oh, that sneak. He was probably—

Rose let out a shriek when he came under her, seating her on his shoulders before rising up as far as he could go and falling backwards. Landing with a hard splash, she untangled herself from his grip and rushed back up. _Bloody sneak._ When she broke the surface, she saw Martha was gone but she soon joined her.

"Bloody alien got me, too," she said.

Rose shook her head. "It looks like he has an advantage over her by the deep ends 'cause he's able to hold his breath for a while. C'mon, let's get closer to the shallow end, we'll get him there."

Making their way back to the shoreline, they came to a stop when the water was about waist level, their feet planted on the wet sand below them. Standing together, they looked around them. Since he was unpredictable—at times—another set of eyes to be on the lookout for a skinny bloke hiding away under the water.

Martha pointed in the distance. "He's over there!"

Rose squinted her eyes to see a flattened mop of dark hair emerge from the surface. She laughed. "Yep, he thought he was a shark. The sound of him snickering in her mind made her keep her guard up more. He was fast, but they were ready for him.

"I've got an idea," Martha said, tapping Rose's arm. "Since he's always after you, I can hide underwater til he rises and sneak attack him."

"Sure, I'll be the bait," Rose said with a chuckle.

Martha nodded. "It's only appropriate since he's constantly drawn to you." She took a deep breath and submerged into the water, swimming away.

What an interesting comparison, that was. Well, the Doctor always said that he'd always come after her, so this was humorous.

Readying her self, Rose took a chance and stepped off of the sand and further into the water as it came up to her chest. It was still the shallow end, but she needed a little leverage. A small reef was a couple meters away. Taking a page out of book, she swam over to it to hide. If he was being sneaky, then so would she.

Popping his head up for a moment, the Doctor scanned the area. The girls were nowhere in sight. "_Oh, trying a sneak attack, are we?_" he asked in his mind. "_What a tactic._"

"_You hypocrite. Why, ya scared?_" Rose teased.

"_Scared of two women who shriek at any and everything? No, not me._"

In the distance he saw Martha breaking the surface for breath. She saw him and immediately swam away. He snickered. No doubt Rose was somewhere close to her. The girls always stick together. Catching up to Martha he reached out and grabbed her arm and she laughed.

"You actually believed you'd get away from me?" he said.

"That was the plan," she answered.

He sniffed. "Well, I'm sorry to say that your—"

He was cut off when Rose launched herself at him from behind, seizing his arms from behind and trapping his legs with hers. "Get him!" she shouted.

Martha complied as she splashed water onto his face. He shook his head from the shots, but she was pelting them at him repeatedly.

"No fair!" he cried, spitting out a gulp of water that landed in his mouth.

Rose laughed in his ear before whispering, "All's fair in love and war."

He grumbled. Even his own wife was defying him, which wasn't surprising as she's always disobeyed him _before_ they were bonded.

"No matter," he said. "I've got a captive now."

Without another word he turned in her arms, breaking from her grip and swam away from Martha, leaving her behind. Rose was giggling the entire time much like him as he took them over to the reef. Pressing her against the material he dipped his head down to give her a kiss. When he tried to deepen it, Rose pushed him back with her hands on his chest.

"Tryna win by persuasion, are ya?" she said with a wide smile.

He chuckled, splaying his hands on the small of her back. "Well, I have my ways, you know," he preened.

She scrunched her nose and looped her arms around his neck, rubbing the nape. "I don't think it's working."

He hummed, tracing his fingers over her skin. "Now, Rose, you know very well that I've many methods to convince you otherwise," he bent down to place a kiss to the corner of her jaw, descending down her neck creating a trail to favor her pulse point. "I'm brilliant, remember?"

He smiled into her skin when he felt her shiver and release a content sigh. Leaning her head back she gave him better access as he caught the rivulets of water trailing down the column of her throat. Rose inwardly groaned. He was so smug and complacent, but he had every right to be. Her insides tingled from the effects of the bond as she buried her hands in his soaken hair, scratching her nails down his scalp. With a low growl he hooked her legs and wrapped them around his waist before raising his head to claim her lips again for a passionate snog, his arms encircling her tight. Having moments similar to this in the past were always cherished, and now that they're married it could only get better. She knew she'd never get tired of this, and neither would he.

The moment was soon disrupted when a large splash of water smacked them clear in their faces, catching them off guard and causing them to break the kiss with a gasp. Looking to the side to find the source, they weren't all too surprised to see what it was.

"I hate to ruin another one of your moments," Martha began. "But as much as I enjoy finding the two of you snogging each other's faces off like it's the end of the world, the war hasn't ended yet," she added with another splash.

The Doctor and Rose both laughed as they untangled themselves from each other to chase their friend, resuming the water war.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

About a half hour after hard splashes and shoving each other under the surface, the water war ended in a unanimous friendly truce when a familiar pink and yellow human's stomach growled loudly and made its presence known. She wasn't the only one who wouldn't mind a nice meal, though. The two suns were beginning to set, and the magenta sky turning a darker shade. The light show would be starting soon.

The Doctor dashed into the TARDIS to retrieve some food while the girls dried themselves off with towels. When he came back out moments later he threw on his pinstriped jacket over a t-shirt and his pinstriped trousers. He carried some kind of container and contraption along with his trench coat and Oxford draped over his arm. He set down the container then put out his coat for the girls to sit on. Coming beside Rose, he put his Oxford around her shoulders while Martha wrapped herself with one of her own tops.

"Ooh, I'm so thick!" he said, smacking his forehead with his palm as he turned around. "There's kiwangoes on this island. These trees grow some of the sweetest and ripest fruits on this side of the galaxy."

"And…you wanna climb them," Rose assumed.

"Well, how else could you pick fresh fruit from a towering palm tree?"

Without another word he leaped to his feet and jogged over to the closest one he placed a hand on its rough trunk and looked up, his tongue pressed to the back of his upper row of teeth. Wasn't too high. The lowest hanging bundle had to have been about five feet up. Hugging the trunk he brought one of his feet up onto the ridges of trunk and pushed himself up. Climbing trees was never an issue for him since he's done it plenty a times back home. They may have been different types, but the same principle applied.

Reaching his destination, the Doctor kept his grip on the bark while reaching out with his opposite arm to grab the fruits. He failed, but managed to knock them to the ground. Making his way back down he huddled them in his arms and brought them back over to the girls.

"Here we go," he said as he sat back down. "Good nutrition for all." He raised his head to find Rose staring at him. "What?"

"Nothin'," she said. "'S just…are you sure you don't have any ape in you?"

Martha laughed and soon Rose joined her. The Doctor simply shook his head and smirked.

Bringing the contraption over, which resembled a small cooker, he popped open the container lid and brought out a variation of edibles; meats, vegetables, and other delicacies that were…alien. Combining those with the freshly picked fruits, they could make a variety of different meals. Throwing them onto the top of the cooker, he took out the sonic from his pocket and turned it on. Rose rolled her eyes playfully at him. _He's definitely useless without his sonic._

"Yes, Rose, I know," he said, keeping his focus on the food. "Not the first time you've said that."

She chuckled. "Sorry," she said. "It's true though, innit?"

He smiled and threw her a wink.

Martha flitted her eyes between them. She wanted to ask what they were talking about, but stopped herself. It probably had to do with their bond, and they were communicating telepathically. That had to be some experience, for sure.

Within minutes, the food was prepared and the Doctor set out plates and forks for them to eat with.

"It's like camping without the campfire," Martha commented as she took a bite into her chicken strip.

"Or marshmallows," Rose joked, biting into one of the juicy kiwangoes.

The Doctor turned to her. "Well, if you'd prefer those, I've got some—"

"No, no, 's'okay," she said. "This is perfect. You're really going all out, Doctor."

"Don't I always?"

Rose squinted an eye at him. "Eh…"

He huffed and nudged her shoulder with his as they ate. They conversed about some other trips they could take and other random topics. The Doctor went in his usual lecture mode as he further explained interesting bits from the islands, even mentioning myths about a special diamond reef grown under the ocean near the cliffs guarded by a certain creature that supposedly discovered the place and was similar to the Loch Ness monster. Well, that would be quite the adventure. He said they could save that excitement for the next day.

Once they finished eating the Doctor cleaned up, with the girls helping him, and ran everything back into the TARDIS. The velvety magenta sky turned into a deep fuchsia, mixing in with some violet and dotting with stars. Joining Rose on his laid out trench coat he sat behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist as she leaned into his embrace, stretching her legs out and pillowing her head on his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head while she threaded their fingers together, gazing at the horizon.

Just taking a look at these two made Martha smile. Never has she seen two people in so much love, and what they had exceeded anything she's seen on the telly or in real life. She could only hope to have a relationship as close to theirs. While she had to admit she was a tad bit jealous, she was still happy for them. They deserved each other, and could spend it together forever. Seeings as this was technically their honeymoon getaway, she hated having to intrude on their special time. Getting up from the ground, she brushed the grains of sand from her legs.

"Alright, I'll see you both in the morning…or what seems like morning."

"You're not staying?" Rose asked.

"You'll miss out on the Cosmic Kaleidoscope," the Doctor added with a pout. "It should be starting in about…" he tilted his head and squinted one of his eyes. "Thirteen point seven six minutes."

"As much as I wanna see it, I'm just feeling a bit tired. All of that swimming from earlier's got me knackered," Martha said. "Not as energetic as you and your girlfriend."

"Oi!" Rose called out.

"Sorry. _Wife_," Martha corrected with a laugh. "Still, I need some rest. I'll watch it tomorrow. We're still gonna be here, right?"

"Of course we are!" The Doctor exclaimed. "After that unfortunate and brief misdirection, I reckon some down time is more than appropriate."

"Well, you two enjoy yourselves." She headed to the TARDIS and opened the doors. "Night, you two."

"Night, Martha," they said in unison as she stepped inside.

Once their friend went inside the TARDIS to sleep the Doctor and Rose remained seated on his coat, gazing up at the sky waiting for in the colors to change. Still holding her in his arms, he gently traced intricate patterns of his home script over her stomach while she moved her hands to caress his wrists. She sent him a relaxing wave of pleasure and he smiled, nuzzling her hair he pressed a soft kiss to her hair.

It was beautiful how much she kept testing out the bond. Even without any practice she was pretty advanced. There were so many levels that she needed to reach to be at an even greater telepathic. Her mind was strong already, but it could be so much more now that he knows she's capable of sustaining something so powerful. And with the many possible incidents she could fall into as well as the species they could come across, safety precautions are to be taken. The only one that should be able to have access to her mind along with herself is him. He won't risk her traveling with something so precious to be abused by an antagonist.

"Thinking too loud again, Doctor," Rose said in an amusing tone.

"Probably louder if you can feel it," he said with a chuckle. "Speaking of which, you," he gently poked her in the belly, "are due for some practice sessions, missy."

She groaned. "Can't we just lay here for a little while?"

"I didn't mean right _now,_ but later on. And as soon as possible."

"How about after the light show, then?" she suggested.

"Sure, if you want. The last thing we need is for someone else runnin' around in your mind."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, no more run ins with any bitchy trampolines, please." They both laughed for a moment before she added, "So was this how you envisioned our honeymoon, or were you expecting us to be locked inside the TARDIS during it?"

He chuckled through his nose. "Well…there's so many places in the universe I want to take you, but I think this has done justice."

"Me too." She shifted a bit to place a kiss to his cheek before nestling back against his chest. "I suppose you wanna renew our consummation later too, yeah?" she said, moving one of her hands to trace circles over his knee.

"Oh, yes," he breathed out. "Impatient, are we?"

She smiled. "No."

"We'll do it, I promise. Though…the last part can be done at any time."

"Lecherous old man," she commented.

He looked at her with mock offense. "Oi!"

Rose turned her head to look up at him. "What, you ain't?"

All the Doctor responded with was a sniff and lifted his eyes back to the sky. She nudged the side of his face with her forehead before resting back in his arms. As much as he loved the idea of renewing their bonding process—mainly the steps they skipped over—it wasn't necessary to do it so quickly. They had all of forever to do the whole ceremony. Right now, they were reveling in this blissful moment. Though they could wait to do the full ceremony there was something else he wanted to give her. Something specifically for her.

Raising one of the hands off of her waist he placed it on her shoulder to gently push her up a little.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, perplexed by his sudden movements. She saw him reach into his jacket pocket. "What're you doing?"

He glanced up at her and pulled out a silver bracelet. "Hold out your wrist," he requested softly.

Complying, she raised her left wrist. He slipped it on before retrieving the sonic to lock the clasp. Holding her hand in his he lifted it up to his lips to place a soft kiss to the back before letting go. Rose observed the piece of jewelry, noting the usual Gallifreyan scripture engraved on the metal.

"It's unbreakable," he told her, tugging on it gently. "Nothing could dent it, not even a tub of acid could dissolve it. And when I say that, I mean any and _every_ acid known in creation. Have to take precautions with your clumsy self," he teased.

She swatted his chest playfully. "When'd you make this?" she asked.

He tugged on his earlobe. "Ehm…months ago. After our…" he trailed off and cleared his throat.

She studied him then looked back down at the bracelet. She knew exactly what he was referring to: their fallout that led to them distancing from each other. Even during their break he still brought himself to make her something else. She herself couldn't stop thinking about him, in hopes of reconciling. Just thinking about the topics mentioned during that argument made her shiver. At the time she was furious at him for what he believed, but she understood why he felt like the way he did. Because he was alone, and that all he knew. Pain, grief, and loneliness. But now he wouldn't have any of that with her around.

"What's this say?"

"Everything," was his answer.

Turning the bracelet around fully to inspect the engravings, she saw that it _did_ have more phrases on it than the ring he gave her so long ago…the one she hasn't seen in months after she threw it at him out of anger from their row. She brushed that scene from her mind. Her eyes lifted to meet his own, softened and loving.

"_Everything_," he repeated through their link.

Her insides warmed up, which was always a common occurrence, but gestures like these exceeded the bar. Offering him a watery smile, she reached for his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. "_'S beautiful. I love it. And I love you._"

Still gripping his hand she brought her opposite up to the side of his face, bringing him down for a kiss. He mirrored her position, bringing his own up to cup her cheek while at the same time transferring everything engraved onto the bracelet through their bond as the kiss deepened into the slow and savory passion they've grown accustomed to for nearly a year. The only sounds in the air were the soft whispers coming from the trees as the brisk breeze blew by, the light laps of the waves pushing and pulling along the shoreline, and of course the pleasurable sounds of love. Every breath, every ounce being poured out.

Nothing else in the world mattered. It was just the two of them. As it always would be.

After what seemed like forever they simultaneously broke apart when breathing became a necessity. "Rose…" the Doctor breathed out. "We're missing the lights."

Rose laughed breathlessly. "Kinda like Noel again, eh?"

He giggled. "Oh, yes."

Shifting back into their original position, they watched as the colors in the sky began to mix together. Vivid hues swirling together in various designs much like, what a surprise, a kaleidoscope, bathing them along with the ocean below in its iridescent glows. It was without a doubt a beautiful sight. But nowhere near as beautiful as their moments together. The light show continued as the Doctor shifted themselves to lay down with Rose still close to him. She closed her eyes and breathed in his relaxing scent as she felt herself drifting off into sleep. The practice sessions would have to wait until tomorrow.

Placing a kiss to his chest she nestled her face in the material of his jacket, relishing in the sweet serenity of their moments. The moments that would last forever.

* * *

_**"When you're on a holidaaaay, you can't find the words to saaaay, all the things that come to youuuu, and I wanna feel it toooo."**_

**Sorry, I'll just be over here. XP**


	50. Serendipity Part 2

**A/N: I know you're all eagerly waiting for Utopia, sorry to make you bust for another chapter. ****Much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You guys make my days even brighter ^^**

* * *

_**Chapter 50: Serendipity Part 2**_

Morning came fairly quickly as Martha woke up to the sound of the TARDIS humming in her ears. Sometimes she wished that the magnificent ship would just let her sleep in every once in a while, but as this was an extraordinary trip she made an exception. Of course it was more special for the Doctor and Rose as it was still their honeymoon.

Dressing herself in another set of appropriate attire for the beach she made her way to the console room. Neither one of them occupied it. There were only two guesses as to their whereabouts; they either remained outside after stargazing and watching the light show, or they came back into the TARDIS for the night. Whichever guess it was one thing was common between both possibilities—they were being…intimate.

Again, what they did in their private lives wasn't any of her business—none at _all_—but ever since they bonded they could barely keep their hands off each other. While she was more than happy to see them in the greatest moods since first meeting them in the hospital, she felt as if she were invading their privacy beyond a shadow of a doubt. Imagining what they had been like before befriending her wasn't difficult as she's seen how they would bounce around the console, dancing to music. Even when she had walked in on them during their activity she felt like an intruder. They were two of her dearest friends, but she didn't want to be the third wheel.

She shook her head. That wasn't the way she should be thinking. Especially when they were having the time of their lives. All of them.

Exiting the TARDIS, she noticed the Doctor's jacket missing. Unsurprisingly they were already awake, but where were they? The sound of familiar giggles got her attention, prompting her to turn her head. She saw them in the distance on the other side of the island rolling around in the sand in another playful fight. Just watching them gave off an infectious liveliness that made her smile. Walking over to them she noticed something glimmering off of Rose's wrist from the double sunshine. It looked like a bracelet the closer she came to them.

Once she was near she got their attention as they stopped in their spots, Rose ending up on top of the Doctor. "Mornin'," she said cheerfully. "We were passing time 'til you woke up."

"I can see that," Martha laughed. "Just so much fun in the sun, right?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor replied, lightly pushing Rose off of him to sit upright. He brought a hand up to shake off the grains of sand dusting his hair. "But today's gonna be different. There's a resort just on the other side if you girls would want to—" '

Not even giving him a chance to finish speaking, the girls eagerly pulled him to his feet and tugged him along.

"Blimey," he said. "Should've known it was rhetorical. And…you're going in the wrong direction.

The spa resort was huge and definitely befitting for the entire planet as it offered the most luxurious cares and services for the visitors. With the use of his trusty psychic paper the Doctor was able to check the three of them into the special guest spa suite that was free of charge—which may have had something to do with the fact that he made the paper say they were royals. Always a title to come in handy.

One of the attendants, who had gills and closely resembled a seal, led them up to the room; large and immaculate as the entire atmosphere was bathed in a golden light. Numerous jacuzzis elevated on coral platforms, skirting the area of the room and ranging from various shapes and sizes as well as border the rectangular pool in the center.

Not wasting any time, the girls went into their changing room while the Doctor simply shrugged off his trousers. He thought ahead and supplied himself with his extra swim trunks since humanoid visitors were a rarity to arrive here, and he instructed the girls to do the same. They wouldn't want to be forced out if they were left to go commando. Not that a situation like that would be comfortable for the three of them…but unless if it was just he and Rose in the privacy of their own en suite onboard the TARDIS…

_Definitely worth a try._

"_And you claim that you're not **lustrous.**_**"**

The sound of Rose's voice in his mind caused him to blush for a moment, but he recovered as he grinned mischievously.

When the girls emerged in their bathing suits they each made their way to the jacuzzis. Martha chose one with a deep hole for easier relaxation while Rose picked the highest one. Carefully climbing onto the coral ladder leading up to it she slowly stepped inside, with the Doctor following and holding her hand to make sure she wouldn't slip. The water was steamy and gave off a zesty fragrance of lemons and strawberries as bubbles popped away. It was fairly shallow when the Doctor sat down first, bringing his arms up to rest on the edge of the jacuzzi and lolling his head back as the relaxing heat massaged his muscles.

Rose took her spot right beside him, enjoying the steam as she sighed. "Feels good," she breathed out.

The Doctor hummed, his eyes slipped shut. "Very good."

"'S just as amazing as the ocean."

"Well, we should hope so," he said. "The waterline on this planet is clear and clean like a shiny diamond. Which, now that I mentioned it, we should do later on."

"You mean search for the diamond reef?"

"Yep. It'd be nice to settle if the myth is really fact or fiction."

"Another mystery to solve," she said lightly. "Though if we get attacked by the Loch Ness Monster—"

"Creature _similar_ to the Loch Ness Monster," the Doctor corrected.

"Yeah, whatever. If we get attacked by one, I'm gonna smack you."

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," he told her. "The creatures here are good-spirited, and wouldn't hurt an apple fly - which are incredibly dangerous, never come into contact with those pests. Nasty buggers, they are. One bite from them and you could blow up to the size of a Slitheen."

Rose laughed. "Thanks for the heads up."

Closing her eyes, Rose inhaled the sweet amalgam of scents coming from the water. One of her hands came to rest on the Doctor's knee as she tenderly caressed his skin. He hummed and gently nudged her mind, causing her to smile. Mirroring her movements he brought his own to hers, sending electric shocks through their bodies.

"I'll never get tired of this," Rose said softly.

"Neither will I," he responded. "You know…now would be a good time for some practice sessions."

Rose groaned. As much as she would love to improve their bond, all she wanted to do was relax in the steaming water. "Can we please do it later?" She asked. "I know I said last night that we could do it tomorrow, but…not now."

The Doctor chuckled. "Stubborn," he murmured.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

After spending a bunch of time in the relaxing hot tubs the trio dried off and were treated to an abundance of meals consisted of a variety of freshly grown fruits from the trees and other likings which were offered by the resort. Feasting upon the delicious food given to them, the Doctor suggested they search for the mysterious diamond reef under the ocean. Eager for a possible discovery they each slipped on their clothes and ran out to the beach, still unoccupied. Shedding their layers and returning to their swimwear, the girls ran into the water but the Doctor seized them by the arms.

"Now, wait a second. Before we go snorkeling…" he reached into one of the pockets of his swim trunks.

"Lemme guess, you supplied us with diving masks," Rose assumed.

A smile grazed his lips. "Better than those." He pulled out a handful of what looked to be…chewing tablets.

Martha looked at them oddly. "They look like vitamins."

"Not vitamins, _respirators_," he said happily. "Take one of these and you'll be able to breathe underwater for long periods of time." He sniffed. "Also get all of the essential nutrients in the process."

"What flavor are they?" Martha asked curiously.

The Doctor stared at her and blinked once. "Really, Martha?" She shrugged in response, waiting for his answer. With a sigh, he told her. "Banana."

Rose laughed. "Of course they are. Don't suppose you have any pear flavored ones, do ya?"

He gave her a pointed look and she couldn't help but laugh again. "I'm not even responding to that rhetorical and nonsensical question."

"Apparently you _are_," she teased.

He grumbled as he handed over the tablets. "Now, beings as we're diving deep you'll wanna take about two. Double the strength."

"How long do each last?" Martha asked as she palmed hers.

"Well, it depends solely on physiology. You, being a human, would mean that two tablets would allow you to breathe for…" he squinted one of his eyes and pressed his tongue to the back of his upper row of teeth as he calculated. "One hour, forty-seven minutes, and fourteen seconds."

"That's an odd duration," she snorted.

"Yeah, they're a bit…wonky. These are the first edition. Now if I had the twenty-eighth you'd be able to breathe underwater for eighteen years." He tilted his head. "Though I don't believe a human would wanna live in an ocean with no telly or other forms of entertainment. Unless-"

"Then how long will they last for us?" Rose cut in.

"Oh, about…five hours and fifty-six minutes. For you, at least. Since you're not fully human you're able to withstand the rushes easily. Me, being a Time Lord, would mean I'd last the longest."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, I know, you and your 'superior physiology.'"

He clicked his tongue and winked at her as the girls took the pills. The Doctor popped a couple in his mouth as well. While his respiratory bypass allowed him to hold his breath for a significant amount of time, it was still better to take safety precautions. Once they were ready, he led them down the shoreline and swam out to the deep end.

"Let's split up," he told them. "You and Martha dive down and go east. I'll head over to the cliffs."

"Okay," Rose answered.

"And what if we happen to bump into that…similar-to-but-not-the Loch Ness Monster?" Martha asked warily.

The Doctor shrugged. "Try not to frighten it. It's supposed to be friendly, so don't get on its bad side. Don't worry about it. Just focus solely on finding a diamond reef."

"What happens when we find it?" Rose asked.

"I dunno. We shout Eureka," he joked. "It's only a simple mystery to be solved for fun. Come on!"

He dove under making his way to the bottom. The girls followed suit, letting him lead the way. After a moment, he gave them a thumbs up signal before wading away in his direction. The cliffs weren't too far as he made it to their ridges. With a careful hand he examined the material for any trace of crystals, which was a sign of nearby diamonds. Scanning the cliff he maneuvered to the other side, finding nothing.

"_Any luck?_" He asked Rose through their link.

_"Nothin' yet."_

_"Yeah, same scene here. Check in if you see something like crystals or any other shiny objects."_

_"'Kay."_

Though the day before they had a water war—a lot of it happening on the surface—the few incidents where they ended up under the water, they never took the opportunity to take in the beauty of the sandy depths. The double beam of golden light shining from the sky illuminated the ocean floor, casting small shadows from the tall vegetation. No sea creatures—or as the Doctor had said, no _residents_—were in sight. All that could be heard was the rushing of the water in their ears along with the faint sounds of the whispering tree branches in the far distance on the outskirts of the shore.

Going down even deeper to the point where walking on the sand below was possible, the girls continued on in their own direction. What a swimming experience this was turning out to be. Searching for a mysterious reef supposedly made entirely out of diamonds and also on the lookout for a mythical creature. Quite the honeymoon. Then again, this seemed very…them. Coming across a normal coral reef they observed it closely. A small glimmer was reflecting off of it. Did that mean the diamond reef could be real and near?

"_Doctor, there's crystals on this one_," she informed him. "_Just a little_."

"_Brilliant!_" he exclaimed. "_One step closer to solving this so-called myth. Keep searching_."

Rose beckoned Martha with a wave of her hand as they followed the line of reefs. A sudden wave threw them off for a moment. Turning their heads to the side they saw nothing but the ocean floor. Odd. A guttural sound shook the ocean floor. Martha's eyes widened and Rose shrugged.She alerted the Doctor to come right over. Turning a reef the sound was heard again and they swam faster. Risking a look behind them Rose inwardly gasped at the creature following them.

Not a myth anymore.

The Doctor followed the wave to the girls' location, eager to see what they've discovered. But by the way Rose sounded, he hoped it was nothing too serious. And by the inhuman humming that shook the waters, they knew they weren't alone. Twisting around a large reef he noticed a creature. _The_ creature. Fairly large but not a towering length, it had a broad flat body in an emerald shade, gliding through the water with ease with four long flippers, a short tail, an elongated neck and small head.

_"Oh, you are __**beautiful,**__" _he thought.

_"One myth confirmed to be real,"_ Rose cut in.

The Doctor followed the creature who moved in sluggish strokes. It suddenly came to a stop and turned to face him. His brows shot up when he felt a wave enter his mind. It was telepathic.

_"Oh, hello,"_ the Doctor greeted as he approached it. "_Sorry to come upon your…home. We were just passing through, just visitors is all._" The creature studied him and made the sound again. _"I assure you we're not dangerous. Trust me. Mind my saying so, but you are an interesting species_." Another sound. "_Ah, last of your kind. I can understand that very well."_

A number of feet away Rose sensed the Doctor in her mind, sending calming waves of safety. She and Martha swam over to see him and the creature communicating. _Wait, it was telepathic?_ Rose's interest came up as she tried to speak to it. As she sent her greeting the creature turned to her and made a sound. She smiled.

"_Amazing_," she breathed out.

The Doctor grinned widely. "_Absolutely stunning_."

After brief conversing with the creature the topic of the diamond reef came up as they asked for directions to see if it were real. If the monster was factual, then a simple reef composed of shining jewels should be no exception. Surprisingly the creature led then to the actual source, to which they inwardly shouted, _"Eureka!"_

_How's that for discovery, Jacques Cousteau?_

Saying their goodbyes to the kind creature they each emerged from the surface, laughing breathlessly. "I've seen a lot of things since travelling with you two," Martha spoke up. "But seeing you two channeling your inner Aquaman may have climbed to the top of the list of surprises."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged looks before grinning like loons. Making their way back to the shore they each dried off before the Doctor fetched his Oxford and slung it around Rose. The suns were beginning to set, meaning the light show would start again.

Martha noticeably yawned. "Wow, this day went by a hell of a lot faster than yesterday."

"Well, time flies when you're having fun," Rose said. The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "I know, you've went over the true explanation of that phrase, so please don't go into that spiel."

"Spoiling everything," he muttered. "Oh, come on, the lights are about to start. Martha, you didn't get a chance to see them last night."

"I know, I'll stay."

Seating themselves on the sand they watched the light show once again, and it was just as spectacular as the night before. As it was Martha's first viewing, she gazed in awe at the combing hues twisting themselves in intricate designs. After so long it appeared to be nearing its end, and the sound of a deep exhale got their attention.

Rose's head was resting on the Doctor's shoulder as she seemed to have fallen asleep. He snorted. "Old habits, he whispered to Martha.

"Even aliens need sleep, you know," she said. "Or…advanced humans in her case."

He raised his brows and smirked. "Guess this calls for the night, then." Shifting slowly, he carefully took Rose in his arms and stood to his feet. "Night, Martha."

She smiled. "Night."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

A familiar cool sensation pouring into her mind along with a calming hum and the feel of a pair of cool, moist lips pressing softly to her temple woke Rose up. Somehow she must have made it back to the TARDIS after falling asleep while watching the light show in the sky. At least the Doctor wasn't attempting to get her out of the bed, at least not by tossing her out. She was still clad in her bathing suit, but she remembered he had given her his Oxford to wear. Only now it was gone. Knowing him he probably took it off of her himself when he carried her back in the TARDIS. Attachment.

A soft chuckle escaped him from behind her and she smiled. He pressed a few kisses to her bare shoulder before lifting them off completely and landing on the hollow of her neck. She let out a content sigh and relaxed in his arms. Only the Doctor could make mornings seem so much better—or what had seemed like mornings on the TARDIS.

The arm that was secured around her waist moved back slightly to graze the soft skin of her side with his hand, his fingertips ghosting along her ribs then down to her stomach just above her navel, and repeated the motion. A chill ran through her as his movements caused her to have gooseflesh, a smile creeping on her face. He, too, grinned smugly against her skin at her reaction to his touches. The Doctor hummed softly as he continued his trail of kisses up her neck to the corner of her jaw while his fingers danced along her ribs and stomach.

His breath heated against her cheek as he ascended his mouth to take her earlobe between his teeth, giving it a little nibble. Her breath hitched and she felt him smile again. He always knew he was brilliant at making her feel like she was floating in the clouds and always boasted about it. A cold shiver shot through her as his thumb brushed on a sensitive spot over her ribs while he traced the shell of her ear with parted lips.

Sending him a calming wave through their link, she kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the tingling sensation coursing through her body. If he was trying to wake her up he was doing a poor job of it as she felt herself drifting back to sleep. He stopped his ministrations on her ribs and lifted his hand up to place on her shoulder, caressing it tenderly with his thumb.

His lips moved to whisper in her ear. "I know you're awake, so please get up." She remained still, hugging the covers only to have them tugged away and she groaned. "C'mon, there's no excuse for you to lay around in your burrow," he said in a soft, serious tone. "No need for you to fall back into your hibernating tendencies."

She groaned. "Can't we just stay like this for a little while?"

"In other circumstances, I wouldn't mind. But we've got work to do—_you, _more specifically."

He shifted in the bed to pull off her covers completely, and she squeaked at the sudden chills hitting her exposed skin not covered by her bathing suit. She had a very good idea of what he was referring to: practicing on strengthening their bond.

"Can I at least put on some clothes?" she suggested, still laying in her spot. "'M still in my swimsuit." She looked at him accusingly. "And _you_took my shirt."

He snorted, his hands coming up to hold his collar. "_Your_ shirt? I let you borrow _mine."_

She smiled cheekily. "What happened to 'sharing is caring'?"

"Well…"

Giving him a playful push, Rose raised herself up to a seated position. "Whatever. I still need to change."

The Doctor shook his head. "No you don't. In fact you're perfectly equipped for our sessions." She arched an eyebrow at him. "Trust me," he told her. "You'll wanna shed some layers off when going through these. Relaxation is a main technique, and making yourself comfortable is a part of it."

"Okay, then can I at least change out of _this_?" she asked, gesturing at her bathing suit. "I wore it all day yesterday and slept with it on. I think it's lost all comfort now."

The Doctor took in her appearance and sighed after a moment. "Fine. Just…don't be too heavy with the clothing. As little layers as possible."

Rose threw him a tongue-in-teeth grin. "Lecherous old man," she teased.

"Insatiable little minx," he shot back with a grin.

She giggled before leaning over to give him a lingering kiss on the lips. He allowed it, but when she raised her hands to angle his face in an attempt to deepen it, he stopped her by wrapping his fingers gently around her wrists. Humming in protest, he broke the kiss.

"Not yet," he said.

Rose grumbled. "Buzzkill," she commented.

"As much as I would love to accommodate you, we need to work on strengthening the bond through you. We don't want anyone else runnin' around in your mind."

"But we're on holiday," she reminded. "Our _honeymoon._ Which implies no work, just play."

The Doctor chuckled. Oh, this woman. He lowered her hands and placed them in her lap. "I promise we'll continue this after a few lessons. Alright?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine."

Getting up from their bed she went over to their wardrobe to pick out a change of clothes. Choosing a pair of crimson shorts and a pale blue camisole, she laid them down on the dresser before stripping out of her two piece bathing suit set. She could easily feel the Doctor's eyes burning in the back of her neck and inwardly blushed. Though it wasn't anything odd for them, her stomach would always swoop on the receiving end of his heated gazes.

"_Enjoying the show, are ya_?" she teased through their link.

"_Oh, yes_," he breathed out.

Before she knew it, she heard him shift off of the bed to come stand behind her. His hands rested on her hips and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek then made his way down her neck. His tenderness and sensuality would always be greatly appreciated and adored, but if he was determined to have her full attention to testing out their bond again, he'd have to restrain himself. And so would she.

Turning around she placed her hands on his chest and gently eased him back, arching an eyebrow at him. "Thought you said '_not yet_'?"

He licked his lips and nodded. "Right. Yes. Sorry." Backing away from her, he let her finish changing into her clothes, still ogling her in the process. Definitely a lecherous old man.

Once Rose was done she turned to face the Doctor. "Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," she answered. "Now what?"

Without another word he shrugged off his Oxford agonizingly slow, as if he were torturing her with every inch of his glorious skin being revealed to her, then tossed it unceremoniously to the side. Her eyes fixed on his firm, toned skin, slightly tanned from spending so much time in the suns the day before. _God, he's gorgeous. _He cleared his throat, bringing her gaze back up to his.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest. "That's so not fair."

"What?" he said innocently.

"And you say that _I'm_ distracting."

"I said that the less layers, the more comfortable and the better. And that applies to _me_ as well, Rose."

"You're _really_ tryna test me," she said.

A lopsided grin appeared on his face. "Well, let's hope that you pass, then."

She strolled over to him and poked him in the chest. "Same goes for you."

The Doctor nodded. "I'll restrain myself. Now, the importance of strengthening your mentality is to be aware of everything that's around you," he began. "The mind is a precious delicacy, and when available to the simplest being or entity, it could easily be abused by force."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, never run into any more bitchy trampolines."

He smirked. "Oh, there's all sorts of species out there that could try to barge their way through here," he tapped a finger to her temple as he began to pace around her. "Nestenes, Silurians, Osirians, Sensorites, the Eight Legs, Kitlings and the Cheetah People, Gastropods, Bodach, Vulcans—"

"Woah, wait, hold on," Rose cut in. "Vulcans? Are you saying there's a possibility we could run into _Spock_?" she asked with a laugh.

He tiled his head. "Weeeell, not really. For one thing they're not real. Well, _technically_. But there _is_ a race called the Rututamings, and they're quite similar to Vulcans. Pointed ears and all. Main difference is they're not void of any emotion, and don't actually speak verbally."

Rose shook her head. Though she's seen so much in the world, she hasn't seen everything. And neither did he. "Okay, I get it," she said, bringing him back on the topic. "Finish your lesson, teacher."

He chuckled through his nose. "Right, now where was I…?" He tilted his head before exclaiming, "Ah! Yes. Like I was saying, there's plenty of telepathic species in the universe, and for them manipulation of the mind is like child's play. So to avoid any of them getting inside of your head, you have to put up your defenses—barriers to block them out."

Rose nodded. "Got it." She turned to look over her shoulder to face him as he stopped his pacing. "You want me to imagine doors, 'm guessing."

The Doctor smiled proudly. Always being her brilliant self. "Exactly." He booped her nose with his finger. "Gold star for you."

"Okay, I understand that," she said. "And what's your position gonna be? The bloke who eyes me up and down?"

Raking his eyes over her appearance, a deep hum escaped from his chest. "Trust me," he said in a low voice. "It'll all make sense."

Catching the slightest glimpse of her tongue peeking out to lick her lips, he twitched inside. Rassilon, and he thought he was highly sensitive and affected by each and every one of her mannerisms _before_ the bonding. At least he had enough sense to control himself. Somewhat.

"Just close your eyes," he softly directed.

Rose complied as she turned her head back around and slipped them shut. A small wave of warmth hit the small opening of her upper back where her camisole was cut as the Doctor came closer, pressing his chest against her back, his hearts vibrating through her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged her skin with his thumbs.

"Think of the things you wouldn't want anyone else—besides myself—to see. Imagine a door or a gate, and keep it locked tight." He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Concentrate."

Her insides shook and she smiled. "'S kinda hard to do anything with my incredibly gorgeous teacher _distracting_ me."

A low growl escaped from his chest. "Complete your lesson, and you'll be rewarded," he told her.

"Oh, God. That's so cliché," she commented.

"And yet you still love it."

Still keeping her eyes closed, she felt the Doctor back away from her. Doing as told, she thought of some things she'd never want anyone to see. If she was honest, there were certain memories that she'd wished could be easily forgotten and not want to be brought up again, just like the Doctor. But during the bonding process she wanted to open herself completely to him as he did to her. He spilled his secrets onto her and she did the same for him, no matter how painful and depressing they were.

Taking a deep breath, she remembered one of the worst things that ever happened to her in her life: the day she dropped out of school to run away with Jimmy Stone. Just thinking about it now was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She could still hear her mother's worrying cries about her safety when she returned home after it all. Over the years she regretted a great deal of things, but that was probably the worst mistake she's ever made. Everyone left home in the end, but what she had done was drop everything and went with a boy she hardly knew anything about and was brought into a world of pain.

All of the lies, the deception of what she believed was an amazing and exhilarating life backfired on her almost instantly. And then the abuse…

Shuddering at the repressed memories, she inhaled another shaky breath as she tried to keep the memories intact as hurtful as they were. Seeing the face of that boy made her insides churn with disgust. She could only imagine exactly how the Doctor felt when he strolled through that part of her mind when he first created the bond. No doubt he was _furious_ about it. She wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to go back in time just to unleash the Oncoming Storm on the boy. Of course that wasn't the reasonable and wise thing to do as it was interference with the laws, and even if it was allowed, that boy wasn't worth it now.

What she had now was worth everything. Dealing with all of the setbacks and unpleasantness that her old life brought her in the past led her to run across the universe and fly across the stars with the man she loved more than anything. Her husband. That alone sets her life straight in the direction she was going in, and her choices made. And it was all for the good, and the greatest decision she's ever made. Knowing that whatever grief they may come across in the future—which she really didn't want to dwell on, since this was the happiest she's ever been—she'll always know that they'd make it through it all, no matter what.

As long as they had each other's hand to hold, they would be able to face down whatever challenges the universe throws at them.

She flinched and inwardly gasped when she felt the Doctor's fingertips on her temples as he moved to stand in front of her. "Shhh, relax," he told her quietly. "Now I'm going to enter slowly so not to disrupt you, just like always. But this time don't show me your thoughts; try to block me out. Okay?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

Feeling his cool, calming essence penetrate her mind was so welcoming that she would never hide anything from him, but as this was an exercise she did as directed and tried to keep him out. With the memories lingering she tried to imagine a large, gated door and to place it in front of it. She misguided and it was still opened up.

"_Concentrate_," he said through their link.

Feeling like she was drifting off she tried again with a little more strain. A slight pain began to form at the crown of her head as she tried to lower the door in front of her opening. It began to teeter and shake. Screwing her eyes shut even tighter she used as much might as she could to get her defenses up.

"S_teady now_, _Rose_," the Doctor said calmly. "_Don't strain yourself, you'll only end up hurting. Just put up a barrier. It's not too hard_."

"Sure, maybe not for _you_," Rose scoffed out loud, opening her eyes. "You've got over nine hundred years of experience with this stuff. Give a girl a break, will ya?"

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I meant no offense by that," he told her. "You're doing good, Rose. You're putting in a lot of effort, and that's a very good thing. This takes time. Just…don't try too hard. _Relax_," he added in his mind.

Accepting his apology Rose closed her eyes again and made another attempt at blocking him out. She exhaled a deep breath that shook her insides as she was finally able to lower her door. Examining the exterior it appeared too…simple. Definitely something that could still be barged through. She may not have knowledge of all of those telepathic species the Doctor had mentioned, but if he said there were many types that were strong, she was sure that they'd easily break their way into her mind. Brushing away the door and chucking it off somewhere she replaced it with an even larger door than the previous one. Lowering it down, she heard a crank as it shut.

"_Good. Very good_," the Doctor encouraged. "_I can still feel your presence, though. Try masking it. Lock it up tight_. _You have complete control of that door. Use it to your best advantage._"

Despite feeling safer with a heavier door, it still seemed to be a little ineffective for her to contain everything behind it, so she tried a different alternative. Instead of a wooden, gated door she envisioned one made entirely out of steel with binding chains around it with a lock. Of course only she had the key. Sensing it lower down slowly, she held her shields up and kept them sealed shut tight.

Slowly creeping through the pathways available to him, the Doctor was wary as he reentered Rose's mind. As much as this was a habit of theirs now, it didn't change the fact that he was still cautious to take a few peeks at what lies in the crevices of her conscience though she bared herself completely for him, pouring everything out for him to see on the night of their consummation. But should a day come where they encounter another telepathic being—which he prayed to Rassilon would _never_ happen—safety precautions are to be taken seriously.

Speaking from experience having one's thoughts invaded and tampered with by another without permission is vile. Having such an ability is beneficial for sure, but with the wrong intentions it can be a burden. He never made a habit of entering another's mind unless it was out of desperation to figure something out. The receiving ends would find it strange and uncomfortable, but luckily it was a breeze with Rose who took it willingly with ease.

A small burning feeling crept onto him as he delved deep enough and came across her barriers. He smiled proudly. It was…incredible. _She_ was incredible beyond limits. She had just achieved in something that should've taken _weeks_ of hard work and patience for her to even accomplish just a fraction, and once again, she proved him wrong and surprised him.

"Oh, brilliant!" he praised. "Clever move using a steel door. I used them myself, they're very defensive. Nothing can come through those, not even someone as experienced as myself."

"Well, you don't have to lock things up around me anymore," she said sincerely.

His hearts warmed up. "Nope. Neither do you," he opened his eyes and saw her own boreing into his. "Well, that's one session completed." At the end of his announcement Rose made a move to bring him down for a kiss but he stopped her with his hands seizing her by the shoulders. "Wait, we're not finished just yet."

She groaned. "Doctor—"

"There's one other thing we need to go over," he assured her before saying with a sly grin. "And I think you'll enjoy it greatly."

"That so?" Rose said with an arched brow. "What is it then?"

"Enhancing the senses," he answered. "Along with a strong mind, you need to be most aware of your surroundings. And if a situation should happen where one of them is disabled or hindered, you'll have to rely on your others to be your greatest assets."

"But aren't they already pretty advanced?" Rose asked. "I mean, I'm connected to the TARDIS, and my system is stronger than an average human's. I should be enhanced already."

The Doctor nodded once. "And you are. Except they could be so much more." He lifted one of his hands off of her shoulder and with a single finger slowly glided down her arm, making her shiver. "You know that tingle? That spark underneath your skin? Up until now it's an after effect from the bond, amplifying mutual pleasures. But it could have another purpose, one that could be used in dodgy situations. Not only could it heighten your sense of _touch,_ but all of the others would increase as well."

As his fingers lightly danced down the lengths of her arms then back up in a repetitive path creating electricity he leaned forward, his face nuzzling the crook of her neck as he inhaled deeply.

"Scent…" Lifting his head his lips ghosted over her ear and whispered. "Sound…" Her insides shook from the combination of heat and chills, balancing each other out. Pulling back he rested his forehead on hers, letting her drown in his gaze. "Sight…" His fingers froze as he moved his hands up to cup her cheeks. Dipping down he waited until he was about a fraction away from her lips when he whispered the last sense. "And taste…"

Closing what little space was between them Rose's hands rested over both of his hearts as he traced her bottom lip fully with a gentle swipe of his tongue, and as always she allowed him entrance, leading to simultaneous moans. Damn him for being so bloody brilliant at making her melt with just a simple touch. Would there ever be a time when she _wouldn't_ grant him access? If so, then it would probably be the end of the world. No, even then she was certain that the effects wouldn't stop. Not at all.

He abruptly broke the kiss and she groaned. _Why couldn't the lessons be done sooner?_

"Because these will help us both for the future," the Doctor answered out loud. "We can't have anyone or any_thing_ creeping through your head again."

"I know," she responded, patting him on the back before releasing herself from his arms. "All right, then. How does this work?"

"Close your eyes," he requested, moving to stand behind her. His hands rested on her shoulders again as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Stand still." His cheek pressed against hers before he shifted, pillowing her head on his chest and heating her up with every breath puffing from his parted lips. "Hold onto that spark," he told her. "And use your other senses. I'll stand in a certain spot in this room, and what I want you to do is try to find me—not with your sight, but with your other senses. With the bond."

Rose smirked and leaned into him. "This must be Time Lord version of hide and seek, then."

The Doctor chuckled through his nose. "S'pose so. But so much more."

Finally backing away from her, she tried to perk her ears up to hear his quiet footfalls against the floor. She heard him shifting around the room, but couldn't make out a direct location. Silent and swift like a cat, he was. It felt like he was stilled but then he moved again, trying to throw her off. Static buzzed in her ears as she concentrated.

"_Find me, Rose_," he said through their link so not to make his final position obvious. "_Be aware of your surroundings, and find me_."

"_You better not be in another room, or I'll smack you_," she told him. That'd be all she needed, for him to play mind games with her. How appropriate in a lesson like this.

The Doctor laughed in her mind. "_Oh, I wouldn't doubt that. I didn't leave the room, Rose. I promise. You would've heard the door open and close if I did_."

"_Yeah, well you're pretty good at coming and going quietly. Anything's possible with you,_" she added with a chuckle.

"_Fair enough. But I assure you that I'm somewhere in here. Find me, Rose. Follow the wave._"

Licking her lips she focussed on those sparks, the ones that only washed over her when in his presence. A small wave of warmth was lingering in the back of her neck, most likely because he had left his trace around that region. Surely he wouldn't remain within the same perimeters. Would he? She was meant to figure it out on her own. Inhaling a deep breath she relaxed her body, feeling the tingling sensations magnetize throughout her system, the small buzzing sound filling her ears along with the sound of her heartbeat.

With complete absorption, she followed the wave in her mind. There wasn't much coming from the receiving end, but that was all a part of the lesson. He was giving her full control of the situation and not looking to assist her, staying put and averted in his spot—wherever he was. Tentatively stepping forward about an inch or so, she froze in her spot. Something felt…off. He told her that he hadn't left the room, but was this all a part of the lesson? Was he tricking her?

"_I'm **not** tricking you, Rose_," he breathed out softly. _"That type of_ _distance would be for another session, but not right now. I'm in here. Hold onto the wave, and don't let go. Follow it. I know you can do this, Rose. You're **brilliant**_."

Smiling at his constant motivation Rose took another deep breath and changed her position. Wrong signals were coming from where she was headed, so he couldn't have been in that general direction. At least she _thought_ that he wasn't. She inwardly sighed. This stuff was a breeze for him. Just a simple walk around the park. Nine hundred years of mental expertise weighed down on her…one week of experience. She was somewhat at a disadvantage as she would never reach his level of prowess. The Doctor was the quintessential man, but the least she could do was achieve a fraction of his abilities.

Finding her confidence she began to move in her current direction. The buzzing continued in her ears, amplifying in the silence of the room. For a moment she swore that she could her another faint rhythm like…the beating of the Doctor's own hearts. Her fingers were itching so she curled them, balling them up into fists as she moved. Another shockwave washed over her with every small step she took, the closer she was coming into contact with…something. Hopefully it was the Doctor. She'd hate to fail this test especially when this was meant to be a simple exercise.

A calming hum from the TARDIS came to her ears, whispering that familiar melody that was so beautiful and soothing. Unsurprisingly She wasn't taking any part in helping as well, but that didn't bother her much. All she had to do was concentrate on the sounds and follow the wave. Inhaling deeply she also tried relying on her sense of smell. The defining amalgamation of Time, musk, and all around manliness that was the Doctor's scent was indeed stronger than it was before, so going along with the sound waves of the buzzing in her ears she also followed her nose as she resumed her steps.

Suddenly stopping in her tracks she raised her arms up, her hands extended and reaching out. Something was here, she could feel it. Resisting the urge to open her eyes she moved her hands down as if she were tracing a silhouette, sketching the outline of a body though her vision was unavailable for any use. The sparks increased and caused her stomach to tremble and her skin to prickle from the thrilling vibes. A deep, low hum brought her out of her focus for half a second as she followed her path back up, her hands still hanging in the air.

Freezing at the top they moved inward like magnets, waiting to connect…and they did. To the Doctor's head.

Her fingers rested firmly on his temples, a relaxing heat radiating off of the source. Biting her lip as she contained a small cheer of triumph, she entered his mind with ease and spread her cozy and comfortable essence. A quiet gasp escaped from him and she finally opened her eyes to find a look of sheer awe and wonder on his face. Smiling at him, her hands descended down his neck before moving to the back where she rubbed his skin tenderly.

"Found you," she said in a sing-song voice.

The Doctor blinked rapidly and shook his head, unable to speak. While he always knew Rose was brilliant and could surprise him with many a things—much like actually bonding him in the first place—he didn't expect her to be able to do that so soon, but she eased into the clairvoyance with such finesse it was inspiring.

"Y-you're amazing…" he managed to get out, staring at her with such adoration. "Absolutely _brilliant_."

Rose grinned widely. "Underestimated me again, huh?"

He laughed breathlessly. "Oh, you're incredible. Mind you, you're still a little rusty in deliverance, and it'll take some time and practice before you're able to sense things a little better, but you've already got skills and increasing your sensory awareness very well, my little prodigy," he added with a nudge to her nose.

She giggled before pushing herself up to kiss him tenderly before pressing him against the wall behind him as their bodies felt like they were about to explode from all of the added surge. He suppressed a growl when she pulled away.

"So, are the sessions over _now_?" she asked, running a single finger down his chest.

He responded by pulling her back against him to capture her lips with his and she snickered. Before she knew it he hooked his hands behind her knees and carried her over to their bed without breaking the kiss.

That was enough practice for today.

* * *

**The calm before the storm…**


	51. Utopia Part 1

**A/N: ****Much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You're great motivation for my lazy self.**

* * *

_**Chapter 51: Utopia Part 1**_

The honeymoon was beyond spectacular as it lasted for about a week and a half but not entirely at the beautiful islands and spa resort at Kaao'Tilia—though the majority of it had taken place there. Once the trio took stopped at the planet's gift shop—and the Doctor almost wiped it completely out of some unique singing flowerlike object—and made their leave to travel back across the stars he treated the girls to something they haven't done in a long while, as well as never did with Martha: go to some concerts.

In the past he's attempted to take Rose to a few, but of course those trips were interrupted by some misdirection on the TARDIS's part—to which Rose would make another comment about his poor driving skills—or by another threat to the universe. But now that it's their special holiday, so to speak, he figured they can attend multiple concerts, including the ones he originally planned to take Rose to.

First on the list was one he promised last year but never got to—watching Elvis's performances on Ed Sullivan in New York. Martha made a comment similar to Rose's back then, asking why they were catching him in that era and not when he was in Vegas. The Doctor stood by his choosing and explained once again that when one wants to see Elvis Presley, you go in the late 50s—the time when he still had a waist and could live up to his moniker 'the Pelvis'. Catching all three shows, they caught when he sang "_Hound Dog_" and realized why people complained. Apparently viewers were displeased that the networking chose not to censor his trademark grunts and shakes.

But all of the people in the audience, including Rose and Martha, were swooning.

Next they stopped in the next decade, but remained in the same city of New York to catch the Beatles performing at their biggest show at the time at Shea Stadium in 1965—right in the heart of the hysteria that was Beatlemania in America. The crowd was, no doubt, electrified by the performance, and it would lead to a turning point for the band as in the coming future they'd create game-changing works that would define the rest of the career and everything else that followed after.

Continuing to the succeeding decades the Doctor took the girls to the 1976 to see the first successful concert of the Ramones and then three years later to catch another trip he had promised Rose in the past - to see Ian Dury and the Blockheads. And once again Rose made an amusing comment calling him a big old punk with a bit of rockabillly thrown in, and he did his part by admiring how she looked in her dungarees. Following that he took them to see The Clash, the Smiths, and the Proclaimers. But the biggest stop yet was at Wembley Stadium to catch the live performance of Queen. The moment "_Bohemian Rhapsody_" was played, they each belted the lyrics out along with Freddie Mercury and the crowd.

Lastly, he finished off their musical tours by landing in the 90s, in the midst of the grunge era and other subgenres that followed. Rose once said that two of her favorite bands growing up were Oasis and Radiohead, so he granted her a childhood dream of seeing both of them live. He thought about taking them to the present day for newer concerts, but he pushed those trips for next time as they've been going non-stop. Arriving back to the TARDIS, the girls headed to their rooms to change.

These last number of weeks have been some of the best in the Doctor's long life, and that was definitely saying something. Of course he wasn't married to a beloved pink and yellow human back then.

In the duration of their down time while on the island and in between concert hops, the Doctor and Rose continued their sessions of enhancing her mental abilities and increasing her sensory awareness. Each day proved to be a step or two further into the process, and he couldn't be more proud of her continuous efforts. Not only was she far more advanced than he originally thought, but her persistence and determination encouraged her more as she passed his tests flawlessly. Well, _almost_ since she still had to work out a few kinks in the deliverance, but was improving all the same.

He was also grateful that the TARDIS was able to discontinue Her constant screeching hums to scold him. After getting Her back She immediately sensed their development and, as always, approved of it. For months She's been itching to get him to finally confess to Rose, and even brought their friend involved because of his reluctance. But now everything came together in the end, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

As of lately though, something's been troubling the Old Girl, and She wouldn't tell him why. Since leaving Kaao'Tilia Her turbulence was the worst it's been in months and She's been sluggish once set in-flight. More than once he made an attempt to get Her to spill her troubles but She ignored him. Whatever was wrong, surely it wasn't anything to serious. Probably needed to refuel.

Rose emerged from the corridor changed and ready for the next exploration. She came beside him and nudged his shoulder. "Where we off to next, punk?" she teased.

The Doctor chuckled through his nose. "Just have to make a quick stop. The TARDIS has been feeling a bit…off."

"She has," Rose said with a nod as she raised a hand to stroke the time rotor. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Won't budge," he said, shaking his head. "I've tried that many a times, Rose. If it was anything serious She would've alerted us immediately." He looked up at the ceiling. "She's too modest. Always was."

"D'you think She's flaggin' a bit from all the concert hopping?"

"Could be. It's been a while since She's been out what with the whole 'Angels have the police box' incident, and even longer since she went to consecutive decades," he scratched his sideburn. "Might have to refuel. And I know just the place."

Flipping the switch he sent them off into the vortex only to be tossed around once again from the turbulence until finally coming to a stop moments later. Martha came into the console room shortly after the rough landing.

"Where are we?" Rose asked as she fixed herself.

"Cardiff!" the Doctor said with a grin.

"Cardiff?" Rose asked, a slight happiness in her tone.

Martha came up to them. "Cardiff?" she repeated flatly.

"Ah, but the thing about Cardiff is that it's built on a rift in time and space," he said rounding the console and bringing the monitor over. "Just like…California on the San Andreas Fault. But the rift bleeds energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy, and use it as fuel."

"So it's a pit stop," she said with a smile.

He nodded. "Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds," he studied the monitor and furrowed his brows. "The rift's been active," he muttered. That was strange. There was no other reason for it to even be used. It was taking a bit longer than the last time they were here.

"Wait a minute," Martha spoke up. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple years ago. Was that you two?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen," he answered.

Rose snorted. "God, those freaks. From Raxa…Raxacor…" she trailed off, remembering that she struggled with that name back then. She sensed the Doctor was ready to supply her with the name, but she held up a hand to stop him. "No, wait, I got this. Raxacoricofallapatorious," she strung out quickly.

The Doctor's eyes lit up as he enveloped her in a quick hug. "Oh, you got it!"

She laughed. "Seems so long ago."

"Long time ago—_lifetimes_. I was a different man back then." He shot her a winkand she patted his forearm.

The couple of incidents that happened in Cardiff were whirlwinds for sure. From the first time when they landed in 1869 and met the legendary, brilliant Charles Dickens and faced the Gelth—and near death—then arriving in the present day and prevented World War Three from happening on 10 Downing Street all by the cause of those obese, foul-smelling creatures.

"Lemme guess," Martha spoke up. "You were all burly with huge ears and leather."

"I see Rose has told you stories and brought out her scrapbook again," the Doctor commented with a chuckle. The TARDIS made a beep and he dashed around the console to pull the lever. "Finito! All powered up."

The smile on his face slowly disappeared, his hand frozen on the lever when he saw a familiar figure on the monitor wearing a WWII jacket racing towards his ship. That was impossible. He should be dead. In fact he was certain he was dead, but apparently he was wrong. His insides were already twitching at the sight. They needed to leave. _Now._

Rose must've sensed his discomfort and began to approach him. "Doctor, what is it?"

Slamming the lever down hard he sent them in-flight in hopes of escaping. "Nothin'," he answered casually. "Just making sure She had enough energy."

He hated lying to her as he's been guilty of doing it countless times, but she couldn't find out about this. The moment she did, she'd slap him for all he was worth. As deserving as it would be, their encounter with said figure would be…dodgy. Nothing felt more wrong than that.

Rose noticed that he seemed a bit uncomfortable about something, and if she was honest, she felt the same way. Whatever was out there must be wrong. But…why?

"_Doctor, what's wrong_?" she asked in her mind as she studied him. He remained silent, both inward and outward, as he stood in his spot. A certain uneasiness crossed his face, and she herself could feel it in her stomach. What the hell was going on?

Before she could ask him again the TARDIS jolted violently causing the console to spark and clouds of smoke billowing out as the three of them held on for dear life.

"What's that?" Martha shouted.

"We're accelerating into the future," the Doctor replied, dumbfounded. Carefully avoiding the sparks flying out of the console, he brought the monitor back over and peered at the readings. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion." His eyes widened at the next year. "What? The year one hundred trillion? That's _impossible_!"

"Why? What happens then?" Martha asked.

He shook his head, stunned at what was happening. "We're going to the end of the universe."

"What?" Rose said in disbelief. "How?"

"I dunno," the Doctor said frantically as they held a death grip on the console, dropping down to their knees from the rough ride.

Glancing around the room in a useless attempt for finding out answers, he heard the TARDIS screeching in his ears, causing him to grit his teeth. He noticed Rose appearing the same way. This was bad. Very, very bad.

Finally with another violent shudder they came to a stop. Slowly straightening up, the Doctor stared at the monitor's readings. "Well…we've landed," he announced in a low tone.

"So…what's out there?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "I dunno," he said honestly.

Martha gave a weak laugh. "Say that again, that's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far," he told them. "We should leave. We should go." He nodded. That's exactly what they should do. "We should really, really…go." He glanced over at Rose who bit her lip, barely containing the smile that was creeping onto her face. "What d'you fancy?" he asked.

"What d'you think?"

A manic grin appeared on his face as he dashed for the door, fetching his coat. Without a doubt they came here unexpectedly, much like their other trips, but no one's ever been this far. It had to be something worth seeing.

Rose watched happily as the Doctor enthusiastically held the door open for them to exit. "I'll be there in a mo'," she called out. "Just wanna check on the Old Girl."

He nodded. "'Kay. We'll be right out here," he shut the door, leaving her inside.

Placing a hand on the time rotor she felt her stomach churn. Something felt…wrong. _Impossibly_ wrong. Whatever it was made both the Doctor and the TARDIS uneasy, definitely the most she's ever seen. That alone was a bad sign. Hopefully it'll fade away.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Stepping outside the Doctor and Martha found themselves in a dark, vast landscape of…nothingness. It was a wasteland full of weeds, and dirt hills. A slight breeze chilled the air as it lightly blew against their hair. The Doctor raised his nose to the sky, inhaling deeply. It's been this way for a long while. End of the universe, it was expected.

"Oh, my God!" Martha gasped beside him.

Turning his body around he saw her rush over to a motionless body laying on the ground a few feet away—and it was the very man he had tried running away from.

"Can't get a pulse," Martha said as she placed two fingers on the man's neck. Her head perked up. "Hold on," she turned to the Doctor, "you've got that medical kit thing." Standing to her feet she ran back to the TARDIS. "Rose, get a medical kit, quick!"

"What, why?" he heard Rose say, concerned.

"There's a dead man out here that could possibly still be saved. Get it, hurry!"

The Doctor inwardly sighed. He was going to get it now. Right when Rose finds out that he had lied about Captain Jack Harkness rebuilding the Earth after leaving the Game Station, she'll smack him into the next regeneration. But hopefully she'll understand the reason _why_ he had left him behind.

"Hello again," he said to the man as he slowly sauntered over. "Oh, I'm sorry."

_**xxx**__**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Tearing through the corridors to get to the sickbay to retrieve a medical kit, Rose found herself running around in circles. Usually the TARDIS was helpful in leading others to their destinations, but for some reason She was being spiteful.

Turning another corner she ended up back in the galley. "Why are you doing this?" She questioned accusingly, staring at the ceiling. The ship remained silent. "There's a man in danger and dying. He needs help!"

"Rose!" Martha called out. "Where is it?"

"I can't find it! It's gone."

She shot a look to the ceiling again. Why was the TARDIS acting this way? Unless She sensed the uneasiness that the Doctor felt. But what was causing them so much discomfort? Martha came running inside to search for the kit herself.

"Who is he? Who's the man?" Rose asked.

"I dunno," Martha said as she hurried down the corridor. "Some bloke in a war jacket."

Her heart stopped. War jacket? At the end of the _universe?_ Surely those weren't popular fashion choices at this time. Could it have been…?

Rose finally ran outside to join the Doctor…then came to a complete stop once she noticed the lifeless body of Captain Jack laying on the ground and gasped. "Oh, my God, Jack!" She made a move to rush over to him, but the Doctor grabbed her by the waist and gently pulled her back. "Doctor, it's Jack."

He nodded. "Yeah, I gathered," he said with a hollow voice.

"But how'd he end up here?"

"I think he came with us," he replied. "He held onto the outside of the TARDIS, and She tried to shake him off."

"Why—" Something clicked in her mind. "Wait a minute. You _knew_ he followed us, didn't you?"

The Doctor sighed. "Rose—"

"And you left him behind!" She said angrily. "When you were watching the monitor, he was coming to us. And you ran away from him!"

"I _had_ to, Rose!" He argued. "There's a reason why—"

"What reason is there?" she challenged. "We haven't seen him in almost two years. He needs us."

He stared her straight in the eye, his lips pressed together. "You should probably already know."

She furrowed her brows at him. What exactly did that mean? What was the matter with him? Yes, she felt a strange feeling when standing a foot away from him, but…it was Jack. "What're you talkin' about?"

"Just leave him," he said softly.

"We can't just _leave_ him, he ain't a stray animal," she argued. She was overjoyed to finally see their old friend, but something felt…weird about him. Not just the fact that he was laying on the ground dead. She fought back on her tears. "Doctor, please. Whatever's wrong with him…we can help."

"We can't fix what's wrong with him, Rose," he responded evenly.

"Out of the way!" Martha hollered urgently as she shoved the Doctor aside and knelt beside the captain, pulling out a stethoscope. "It's a bit odd though," she commented. "Not very hundred trillion. That coat looks more like World War Two."

"That's because it _is,"_ Rose said glumly.

"I think he came with us," the Doctor replied.

"How d'you mean?" she asked. "From Earth?"

"Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS. All the way through the Vortex." He took a deep breath. "Well, that's very _him_."

"What, do you know him?" Martha said incredulously.

"Friend of mine," the Doctor replied. "Well, I should say friend of _ours_. Used to travel with us. Back in the old days."

"Exactly, Doctor, Jack's our _friend_," she stressed, glaring at him.

"Wait, Jack?" Martha asked. "Is _this_ Captain Jack?"

The Doctor stared at her. "How d'you know—" Then it hit him. If Rose told stories from the past then Captain Jack was sure to be mentioned a few times. "Oh."

Martha broke the silent pause. "But he's…I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing," she declared sadly. "He's dead—"

And it was then Jack suddenly gasped back to life, causing Martha to shriek and Rose to gasp again, her hands covering her mouth. What the hell? That was…odd. Not even odd, just flat out _wrong._ How could he just come back to _life_? From beside her the Doctor seemed impassive, and had no reaction whatsoever. She wanted to poke at him again, but then another sickening feeling came up inside of her. Ignoring that, she smiled at Jack who clutched onto Martha's arms as he recovered.

"Oh, so much for me," Martha mumbled as she held him. "It's alright. Just breathe deep. I've got you now."

That trademark, charming grin appeared on Jack's face as he did his iconic pick up line in his usual seductive voice. "Captain Jack Harkness," he brought up a hand to Martha's chin. "And who are _you_?"

She smiled shyly. "Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

The Doctor rolled his eyes so hard Rose could practically hear it. "Oh, don't start!" he cried.

"I was just saying 'hello'," Jack said defensively.

Martha chuckled. "I don't mind," she said as she helped him up.

"That's more than enough for _you,_ captain," Rose said with a laugh. Not even dwelling on the odd twisting sensations swirling in her stomach, she ran right over to him.

"Rosie!" he exclaimed as she launched herself in his arms, hugging him tight. "You're alive! Oh, I've missed you, girl."

"Same here," she said happily through laughter, though her insides were wringing.

Setting her down he planted a kiss firmly on her lips. That was all it took for the Doctor to immediately stomp over and tug her away, causing her to giggle. "I thought I told you not to start," he said with seriousness.

"Still possessive, I see," Jack commented before staring at him hard. "Doctor," he said coldly.

"Captain," he replied in the same tone.

"Good to see you."

"And you. Same as ever. Although…" the Doctor tilted his head slightly, squinting his eyes as he studied him. "Have you had work done?"

Jack snorted. "You can talk!"

The Doctor stared at him, confused for a moment before realizing what he was referring to. "Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The police box kinda gives it away," Jack said, gesturing at the TARDIS. "I've been following you for a long time. You _abandoned_ me."

Rose whipped around to glare at the Doctor again. "You did _what_?"

He winced at her sudden sharpness and shrugged a shoulder. "Sorry. Busy life. Moved on," he said casually.

"You told me he was rebuilding the Earth!"

"Well…" he drawled. She punched him in the arm, forcefully. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing the spot.

"You lied to me!" She yelled. "This whole time…" she shook her head before punching him again and he grumbled.

"Way to go, Doc," Jack said, arching an eyebrow. "But…I gotta say," he began calmly. "The Battle at Canary Wharf…" The very mention of that name sent chills down Rose's spine. "On the list of the dead, when I saw it read 'Rose Tyler'…"

"And as you can see, she's right here safe and sound," the Doctor said happily.

"Couldn't be happier!" Jack said with a smile before adding sadly, "But I saw your mother and Mickey on there too, Rose."

"Oh, no, they're still alive," she told him. "They're in a parallel world safe and sound, too."

His eyes lit up. "Oh, that's great, sweetie." He took her in his arms for another hug. "You must miss them terribly."

"I do…but knowing they're okay is all that I could want. That's all that matters."

"Definitely."

Releasing her, he kissed her again, and the Doctor growled. Pulling Rose back to him again, he stared at the man. "Now, Jack, I've warned you. Given that's your nature, surely even _you_ know better than to try snogging a man's wife in _front_ of him." He gave Rose a pointed look. "And you, missy, should know better."

She shook her head. "Oh, come on, now. We haven't seen each other for so long. 'S not like we're strangers. Besides, he's our friend-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, back up," Jack said in a rush with a raised hand. "Did you just say _wife_? As in…_married_?" He said in disbelief.

The Doctor grinned widely. "Yep," he said, popping the 'p'.

"Damn, Doc, you've changed a _lot_. I mean, it wasn't hard to miss the puppy love between you two before, but I never thought you'd get _married_." He laughed. "How'd you do it, Rose?"

She shrugged. "I have my ways," she said with a smile.

"I don't doubt it. How long has it been for you two?"

"Well, as far as married, about three weeks," the Doctor answered, still smiling as he wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders.

"Oh, this is even better!" Jack exclaimed as he went over and wrapped his arms around both of them as they laughed, almost like a sense of nostalgia. The old Team TARDIS…with a few minor changes. "Took you two long enough. The tension between you two…" he trailed off with a short laugh. "Made me wanna jump in the middle and push you into doin' it." He turned to Rose and waggled his eyebrows. "How is he? Great, I take it, right? Got quite the libido, I'm bettin'. You've done things telepathically, too, haven't ya? _That_ had to be an experience. How's that working out for you, Rose?"

Both Rose and the Doctor blushed violently as they were put on the hot seat. Just like old times.

Martha cleared her throat. "I hate to be a downer and break up the reunion, but…we're apparently at the end of the universe and in the middle of a wasteland."

"Right!" The Doctor said, his voice coming out in an unmanly squeak. "S'pose we check out this place."

Jack let go of them then suddenly planted a kiss to the Doctor's lips. "You've got serious details to spill," he said with a grin.

With a grimace the Doctor wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Definitely just like old times.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Coming together the group walked over a small hill, Jack standing between Rose and Martha while the Doctor walked ahead of them. He could easily feel Rose's irritation through their bond, and he couldn't blame her for it. Much like he didn't blame her for punching him. It was well deserved since he kept it from her, but she didn't know the exact reason as to why they had an uneasy twitchy feeling when around Jack.

Well…she could work it out from slight implications as to why Jack was able to survive exposure to the vortex while clinging onto the TARDIS.

He knew the events at the Game Station were a bit of a blur to her when she took in the Time Vortex and became the Bad Wolf, and that meant she was unaware of what she had done on that day to _Jack._ Of course it wasn't her fault, she had no control over all of that power, but after witnessing Jack come back to life when he was surely dead was a glimpse of what was wrong with him.

"So, there I was," Jack was saying behind him, bringing him out of his musings. "Stranded in the year 200,100, ankle-deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me, and takes Rose with him. Speaking of which…I thought he tried to send you away, Rose."

"He did, but I came back," she said casually. "Both me and the TARDIS. I sort of…looked into Her Heart and absorbed the Time Vortex, then came back to save him. I was the Bad Wolf and turned the Daleks into dust." A part of her deep down felt like she had done more than just that, but she brushed it off for a moment.

Jack's brows shot up. "Wow, talk about resilience," he chuckled. "That's my girl."

The Doctor cleared his throat and fell into step with them. "No, she's _my _girl," he clarified.

"Blimey, the testosterone," Rose exasperated. Not much has changed since the last time they were all together.

"How'd you escape?" Martha asked, returning them to the original story.

"I had this," he tapped the device strapped to his wrist. "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator." He gestured at the Doctor. "He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me," the Doctor scoffed in derision as he pointed at the device. "_That_ is not time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

"Oh, ho, boys and their toys," Martha said with a laugh.

"It always is," Rose said with an eye roll. "Every time they encounter each other, it's like this. All this fuss about who's got the better gadgets and tools."

"All right, so I bounced," Jack said irritably at the Doctor. "I thought '21st century, best place to find the Doctor' except that I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this thing burnt out so it was useless."

"Told you," the Doctor said quietly in a smug voice.

Rose heard him. "_Rude, alien git,_" she commented through their link.

"I had to live through the entire 20th century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me," Jack continued.

Rose's eyes widened. "What?"

"That makes you more than a hundred years old," Martha said incredulously.

"And looking good, don't ya think?" he asked with a chuckle.

That was impossible. Jack wasn't immortal. Or…was he? "But…how?" Rose asked.

Jack simply shrugged. "It's all in the genes," he said charmingly before adding, "So I went to the time rift, based myself there 'cause I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this detecting you and here we are."

Something wasn't right at all. Blinking her eyes rapidly she saw a bright flash cross her vision, images of a familiar incident. Satellite 5, the Game Station. Blinded by a golden light she remembered the overwhelming power coursing through her body after absorbing the Time Vortex. The fleet of Daleks were turned to dust at the wave of her hand—but that wasn't all she did. An image of Jack lying on the ground, dead and surrounded by the disintegrated pepper pots, suddenly gasp back to life just as he did moment ago.

Bad Wolf replayed in her mind, as well as the Doctor's pleading cries.

_The song was loud, pounding in her head in a cacophony of noises. Everything was meant to be as it had to be, and she was the one to do it. Always her. Always the Bad Wolf._

_"Rose, you've done it, now stop," the Doctor told her. "Just let go."_

_"How can I let go of this?" she asked in a soft voice. "I bring life."_

_It was then Captain Jack Harkness was brought back to life. As he always would. Forever._

_"But this is wrong!" the Doctor cried. "You can't control life and death!"_

_"But I can_—_the sun and the moon…the day and night. But why do they hurt?"_

_"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault," he said hopelessly._

_"I can see everything. All that is…all that was…all that ever could be."_

_The Doctor stared at her, a look of awe and fear crossing his eyes as his voice came out gentle. "That's what I see…all the time. Doesn't it drive you mad?"_

_Tears streaked down her face. "My head…"_

_"Come here."_

_"…it's killing me…"_

_The Doctor reached for her hands, pulling her close to him. "I think you need a Doctor," he said softly._

_Leaning in he pressed his lips to hers as he absorbed the Time Vortex from her mind. Or almost all of it as a smattering of residual energy lingered in her system, allowing her to have the chance to connect with him and his beloved ship. To spend forever together._

_He pulled away, and her eyes fluttered shut as she fell to sleep._

Her insides twisted as the vision passed and stared at her old friend. Now she figured it out: Jack was immortal. He could never die. And she made it happen.

"How come you left him behind, Doctor?" Martha asked, bringing her back to reality.

"It's…complicated," the Doctor answered. He stopped in his tracks and turned to Rose, a crease forming on his brows. "Rose?" He brought a hand to her rest on her upper arm. "Rose, what is it? What's wrong?"

Blinking rapidly, she nodded. "I know what I did," she said in a whisper.

His lips moved, trying to understand. What did she do? Then it hit him. "Oh."

"What's the matter?" Jack asked curiously, though still concerned.

Rose turned to Jack, a saddened expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"For what?"

"I did this to you."

"What're talking about?" he asked, confused.

"On Satellite 5, Bad Wolf didn't just defeat the Daleks…" she trailed off and gestured at his body. "I made you this way. You'll never be able to die." He nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"Hey, it's okay," Jack assured, bringing a hand to her opposite shoulder. "If you think I'm upset about that, then stop thinking that way. I'd never be upset with you, Rose. It is what it is," he said lightly with that charming grin.

She inwardly winced. He was just _wrong._ It's no wonder why she along with the Doctor and the TARDIS felt uneasy around him—he was a fixed point, and was not meant to be tempered with. He was impossible. And the Doctor must've known this all along and decided to keep it from her.

"Doctor…" she began, glancing over at him.

He let out a sigh. "Listen…I promise to explain everything later." He turned to the captain. "And Jack…I'm sorry."

Jack had an amused look on his face. _"You're_ apologizing? That's a change."

He nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry for…abandoning you. But just know that there's a reasonable explanation for why, but I'll tell you later."

Jack studied him for a moment. "Okay, Doc. I'll hold you onto that."

"Is that what happens, though, Doctor? Seriously?" Martha spoke up. "You just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

Jack chuckled and nudged Rose. "Not if you're blonde."

Martha snorted. "That's no surprise."

"Oi!" Rose cried.

"Again, it's only a joke," Martha said with a laugh.

The Doctor grumbled. "You three! We're at the end of the universe, alright? Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy…blogging!" Rose shot him a look and he let out a deep breath. "Come on," he took a hold of her hand and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"_It's all my fault,_" she said quietly through their bond. "_I ruined his life_."

He turned his head to her. "_Don't, Rose_," he said firmly. "_Don't blame yourself. You had no control, and it just happened. We can't change it now._"

"_But he feels so…wrong, now. Like he shouldn't exist. And I was the one responsible_—"

_"Rose,"_ he cut in gently. "_Yes, I know how you feel. Just being this close to him is making my skin crawl, but it's instinctive. He's a fixed point now. We can't mess with him. But don't hate yourself for doing such a thing._"

"_Why didn't you tell me?_"

He closed his eyes for a moment. "_I…I didn't know how to tell you. But I knew you'd find out eventually. I'm sorry_."

She patted his arm. "_I know."_ There was a brief pause before adding amusingly, "_You went all out in saving me that day. Cheeky old man_."

He smiled. "_And it was worth it_."

"I'm guessing you two are conversing amongst yourselves, right?" Jack said out of nowhere, making them flinch for a second.

The Doctor tugged on his earlier. "Oh…ehm…"

"Rose really turned you around big time, eh Doc?" Jack said.

In more ways than one. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he smiled down at her before placing a kiss to her hair. "Oh, yes."

Jack smiled cheekily. "You two have some serious details to spill."

Continuing their stroll through the wasteland they went over another hill and ended up near the edge of a canyon, coming up to what appeared to be a fallen metropolitan area with caves, rooms, and bridges carved into the side of it. What looked like organic life surrounding it was dead. Everything was dead.

"Is that a city?" Martha asked.

"Looks like a hive," Rose commented as she observed the area.

The Doctor nodded. "Or a nest…or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown." He pointed over to the side, indicating certain sections. "That's like pathways, roads…must have been some sort of life. Long ago."

"What killed it?"

"Time," Rose answered with a shrug. "Just time. End of the universe, it's expected - everything dying. Including the civilizations."

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly." He looked up at the sky. "This isn't just night, all the stars have burnt out and faded away into nothing."

The others followed his gaze. "They must have an atmospheric shell," Jack remarked. "We should be frozen to death."

"Well…_some_ of us, maybe," the Doctor glanced at the captain. "Not so sure about you, Jack."

Rose ducked her head down. How could Jack take the fact that he could never die so easily?

"But what about the people?" Martha asked. "Does no one survive?"

"I suppose we have to hope," the Doctor said, glancing around the area. "Life will find a way."

"Well, he's not doin' too bad," Jack spoke up, pointing to the distance where a man was running along one of the pathways. Further behind him was a herd of…unnatural looking people.

"Is it just me…or does that look like a _hunt_?" The Doctor said with concern. "Come on!" Grabbing Rose's hand, they dashed down the hill with the others behind them.

"Oh, I've missed this!" Jack yelled in a delighted tone as they followed the man down the path. The captain pushed himself further ahead and managed to reach the panicked man first. "I've got you," he said.

"We've gotta run!" the man cried, panting heavily as he saw the oncoming herd quickly approaching. "They're coming! They're coming!"

Releasing the man Jack quickly reached in his holster and pulled out his revolver.

The Doctor immediately disapproved and hollered, "Jack, don't you dare!"

Reluctantly he thrust his weapon to the sky and fired a few shots in the air instead, causing the mob to come to a screeching halt. From a distance it was easy to see that they weren't normal, and now that they were seen up close their assumptions couldn't be more right. Aside from the multiple piercings and decorative tattoos and scars on their skin, their teeth were razor sharp like that of a predator.

"What the hell are they?" Martha asked.

"There's more of them," the man said fearfully. "We've gotta keep moving."

Rose moved over to him in an attempt to calm him down a little. "'S okay, just relax."

"I've got a ship nearby," the Doctor told him quickly. "It's safe. It's not far, it's just over there-" he pointed off in the distance to where the TARDIS was…only to inwardly curse when he saw a mob of the same creatures coming from that direction.

"Or maybe not," Rose said flatly. Stuck on a wasteland populated with raving predators. Just another average day. Wonderful. She turned to the man. "Please tell me you know somewhere we could go."

The man nodded. "We're close to the silo. If we get to the silo, then we're safe."

"Silo?" the Doctor asked.

"Silo," Jack said with approval.

"Silo for me," Martha said.

"Me too," Rose agreed.

Without hesitation the man hurried in the direction of their destination, them following him right on his tail. They came across a secluded section with large gates, watchtowers, and searchlights. At the entrance behind the gate were guards wielding loaded guns, watching them intently as they approached.

"It's the Futurekind!" the man said fearfully. "Open the gate!"

"Show me your teeth!" the guard ordered. The four travellers looked at him confused, causing the guard to repeat himself. "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!"

The man turned to them, and cried desperately. "Show them your teeth." They each exchanged quick glances with each other then bared their teeth for the guard.

"Human!" he reported as he turned to the other guards. "Let 'em in! Let 'em in!"

Doing as told the gates were unlocked and pulled open. The group hurriedly dashed inside, the Doctor pushing Rose ahead of him as the guards quickly began to lock it up again. The mob of the Futurekind were close to making their way through when one of the guards shot at the ground by their feet, sending them back as the gate finally shut.

One of the creatures leaned against the gate, a ravenous grin appearing on his face. "Humans," he growled, flitting his eyes over all of them. "Humani. Make feast."

"Go back to where you came from!" the guard commanded as he raised his gun to the creature. "I said go back! Go back!"

Jack scoffed from the side and gave the Doctor a pointed look. "Oh, don't tell _him_ to put down his gun."

"_He's_ not my responsibility," the Doctor retorted.

"And _I_ am?" Jack said with a humorless laugh. "That makes a change."

"God, can't you two just stop it?" Rose said irritably. _"Both_ of you are _mine,_ so I'd advise you to stop your constant bickering."

They remained silent and she rolled her eyes. Not much has changed at all. Well…maybe a few things, but still was all the same. A calming feeling came in her mind as the Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close.

The leader of the Futurekind began to pace at the entrance. "Kind watch you. Kind hungry."

Stopping for a moment to stare at each of them, he turned to the rest of the herd and shouted something indistinguishable. In response they backed away and left. The leader took one last look over his shoulder and snarled before joining the herd.

"Thanks for that," the Doctor told the guard.

The guard nodded. "Right. Let's get you inside."

The man that was being hunted stepped forward. "My name is Padra Fet Shafekane. Please tell me, can you take me to Utopia?"

The guard smiled as he led them into the cave. "Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can."


	52. Utopia Part 2

**A/N: ****As always, much love to all of the lovely reviewers and followers! You guys are amazing ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 52: Utopia Part 2**_

Upon entering the silo an immediate ripe smell attacked their noses, and it was anything but pleasant. Maybe it was the expectant if the outside was a barren wasteland.

Jack couldn't help himself but gawk at the dynamic duo beside him. The married couple. It still astounded him that a man like the Doctor would ever commit to something so…human. Although if Rose was in the picture there'd most likely be nothing he wouldn't do for her, but knowing him they married in a more conventional method of the ways of his people. Then again, he was unpredictable. And this regeneration was a hell of a difference than the one he had remembered. The Doctor he knew was very closed up and distant, sometimes barely accepting small touches and extremely broody all sealed up behind his leather.

But this regeneration flipped around. He was loose, more manic than his previous self, and especially more comfortable. He may still shut himself out, but not as much anymore. Catching all of those tender gestures he and Rose were sharing made him smile. Back then he knew that the Doctor had darkness, it could easily be seen in his eyes. But, while it was still visible, it dispersed when he was around that precious girl. Even back then. Only now it had an even greater effect on him. It looked so perfect, and that's what they were. If only they'd spill on the details. Surely they must've had a honeymoon by now, and he would bet every gadget he ever owned that they shagged each other's brains out.

The head guard, who introduced himself as Lieutenant Atillo, led them to the silo's base.

"It's a box," the Doctor explained for the umpteenth time. "A big blue box. I'm sorry, but we really need it back. It's stuck out there."

The hunted man—Padra—cut in. "My family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane. My brother is Beltone."

"The computers are down but you can check the paperwork," Atillo told him before calling off to the side. "Creet!" At the mention of the name, a young boy with messy blonde hair who looked no older than ten years old popped his head from around a corner. "Passenger needs help," the guard said.

"Right," Creet said as he came over with a clipboard in his hands. "What d'you need?"

As the young boy assisted Padra, Atillo turned back to the Doctor. "A blue box, you said?"

He nodded. "Big, tall, wooden. Says 'Police.'"

"We're driving out for a last water collection," the guard told. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, lieutenant," Rose said as the man walked away. She nudged the Doctor in the sides when she noticed his slight uneasiness. "She'll be alright, Doctor. 'S not like those freaks would be able to get in."

"No, I know that. It's just…" he trailed off and sniffed.

Perhaps he was still a bit jittery because of the fact they were within Jack's presence. She herself couldn't shake off the feeling—much like the TARDIS tried to do when they arrived here—but what were they to do? He was their friend. Except now what happened to him can't be undone. Poor guy.

"Come on," Creet said as he led Padra away.

The travellers followed him down the corridor. "Sorry, but how old are you?" Martha asked with a frown.

"Old enough to work," he responded with a smile. "This way."

Strolling down the corridors of the silo they took in the surroundings. All sorts of people, adults and children alike, were camping out on the ground while others were lined up against the walls, their clothes tattered and torn up rags.

"They look like refugees," Rose commented quietly, wrapping an arm around his back as they walked by.

"_Stinking_," Jack commented, causing a large man to turn around and glare at him. "Oh, sorry. No offence."

"Don't you see that?" the Doctor said lightly, glancing around. "The ripe old smell of humans. You _survive_. Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental human. End of the universe and here you are." He squeezed Rose's waist as he proudly said, "Indomitable! That's the word, indomitable! Ha!"

In a matter of moments Creet was able to locate Padra's family and what followed was a touching reunion. They each couldn't help but smile at the loving moment shared between loved ones.

"It's not all bad news," Martha said happily.

"That's so sweet," Rose commented, feeling the Doctor's hand rested on her hip tighten as he brought her over to the side near a control panel by a door.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced in his usual manner, shaking the hand of another man as that walked by. "And who are _you_?"

"Stop it," the Doctor called.

"Maybe another time, Jack," Rose told him as she suppressed a laugh. "Give us a hand with this."

"He's rubbing off on you too much," Jack commented with a pout. "Comes after marrying the man, huh?" He winked at her as he joined them.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. Only Jack.

The Doctor took out the sonic and ran it over the door. "It's half deadlocked," he remarked. "I need you to overwrite the code. Let's find out where we are."

In a flash the door slid open, causing the Doctor to stumble a bit but luckily both Jack and Rose grabbed a hold of him before he could plummet down into the empty space of the silo containing a large rocket.

"Gotcha," Jack said quickly, pulling him back in.

"Thanks," the Doctor said with a sigh.

"You really enjoy makin' me have a heart attack," Rose said, smoothing out his coat.

He sucked in a breath. "No, but it seems to be a bad habit of mine."

Jack chuckled. "How did you cope without me?"

"I had Rose," he answered with a grin. "Still do. And she won't be leaving any time soon."

She patted his arm as they gazed upon the massive rocket stationed tall in the center of the opening.

"Now _that_ is what I call a rocket," Martha said in awe.

Raking his eyes over its height, the Doctor mumbled, "They're not just refugees, they're passengers."

"He said they were going to Utopia," Rose reminded.

"The perfect place," he said with a nod. "One hundred trillion years, it's still the same old dream."

Obviously. Living in such an environment, hope for the perfect and ideal land to live better lives was more than a fantasy, but a dream they could only wish would come true. One thing, however was making Rose curious.

"But if this is the end of the universe, how could there possibly be…anything else?" She asked, making the Doctor turn to face her, his brows furrowed. "I mean, I don't wanna seem like a pessimist 'cause just seeing all of these people huddled together is already heartbreaking. But if there's nothing outside, and no stars burning in the sky, how could there be another place for them to go?"

The Doctor tilted his chin up and hummed. "Good point." He turned to Jack. "Do you recognize those engines?"

"Nope," Jack responded, shaking his head. "Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot though."

"Boiling," the Doctor agreed, closing the door. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

Before anyone else could speak a short older man with snow white hair, dressed in a white tunic and black trousers approached them. His eyes flitted between the Doctor and Jack, remaining on the latter.

"The Doctor?" he asked curiously.

Jack gestured to the Doctor just as he said, "That's me."

The man's face lit up with hope as he grabbed his arm and dragged him off. "Oh, good! Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good!"

The Doctor glanced back at the others with an amused look on his face. "It's good apparently."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully and laughed as they followed them.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Professor Yana, as the man introduced himself, led them down the corridor quickly to his laboratory. Apparently there hasn't been many spectacular minds around in the area, and he was ecstatic to find that the Doctor was the one to help him out. Not surprising. Yana quickly pulled him over to the equipment and explained.

"This is the gravitissimal accelerator. It's part of the—"

A female blue skinned insect-like creature greeted the others when they entered. "Chan—welcome—tho."

"And over here is the footprint impellor system," Yana continued as the Doctor slipped on his specs to examine the equipment. "If you know anything about end-time gravity, but we can't get it to harmonize."

"Hello," Martha said to the insect. "Who are you?"

"Chan—Chantho—tho," she answered.

Rose gestured at them. "Hi, I'm Rose, this is Martha, and this is-"

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack cut in flirtatiously, causing Rose to roll her eyes.

"Stop it," the Doctor called from the other side of the room where he examined.

"Can't I say hello to _anyone_?" he asked with an eye roll of his own.

"Time and place, Jack," Rose told him with a smile.

He chuckled and nudged her shoulder. The day Captain Jack didn't greet people in a way that seemed like an indecent proposal would be the end of the universe for sure. And they were there at the moment despite of that.

"Chan—I do not protest—tho," Chantho said shyly.

Jack threw her a wink. "Maybe later, Blue." Dropping his bag in the corner by a lounge chair he moved over with Rose to where the Doctor and Yana were. "So, what have we got here?"

"And all this feeds into the rocket?" the Doctor asked the professor.

"Yeah," Yana said. "Except without a stable footprint we'll never achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonize the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

The Doctor glanced around. "Well, um, basically…sort of…not a clue," he admitted.

"Nothing?" Yana asked in disbelief.

He shrugged. I'm not from around these parts, I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

Yana slumped dejectedly. "No, no. I'm sorry, it's my fault. There's been so little help."

"Oh, my _God,"_ Martha cried out in the background, causing the others to look over and see her pull out a jar from Jack's bag containing a…hand. They all moved over to the area as she set it on the table, the Doctor sitting on the lounge. "You've got a _hand,"_ she told Jack. "A hand in a jar. A hand…in a jar…in your bag."

Both the Doctor and Rose studied the appendage. "What the…" she said pointing at it. "Isn't that-"

"But th-th-that-that's my hand!" the Doctor said incredulously.

"Jack, why do you have this?" Rose asked. More importantly, how did he even manage to _retrieve_ it? It fell off the side of a cliff from the spaceship in the sky.

Jack shrugged. "I said I had a Doctor detector," he said nonchalantly.

"How'd you get it? Did it just fall on your head as you walked on by?"

He smirked. "Guess you could say that."

Rose blinked. "_Well, that came in __**handy**_," she thought to the Doctor.

He smiled. "_Good one. You beat me to it_."

_"Not surprised."_

_"Oi."_

"Chan—is this a tradition amongst your people—tho?" Chantho asked curiously.

"Not on my street," Martha snorted. "What d'you mean that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Dealt with the Sycorax," Rose replied.

"Wait, didn't you tell me about that before?" Martha asked, still eyeing the hand.

"Yeah, long story," the Doctor said. "I lost my hand Christmas Day. In a swordfight."

"While in his jim-jams," Rose added with a giggle as she sat beside him and nudged his shoulder.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Wasn't bad though, right?"

"Not at all. Defending the planet while wearing PJs and having a satsuma in his pocket? That's my kind of hero," she answered. Recalling the whole hysterical day brought her in nostalgic wonder. Their very first Christmas, and it was definitely one to always be memorable.

Martha laughed weakly. "So, what? You just _grew_ another hand?"

"Uh…yeah," the Doctor said with an affirmative nod. "Yeah I did. Yeah." He glanced up at Martha who just stared at him. With a smile he raised his replacement hand and wiggled his fingers at her and waved. "Hello."

"It's his fightin' hand," Rose told her in an attempt to mimick the Southern drawl he put on it that day.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Don't…do that," he said, suppressing a laugh.

"Might I ask what species are you?" Yana asked.

"Time Lord. Last of," he told him, receiving blank expressions from the professor and Chantho. "Heard of them? Legend or anything? Not even a myth?" Still not ringing any bells. He sighed. "Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling,"

Rose patted his knee. "You're still a legend to all of us," she said softly, earning a tight smile from him.

"Chan—it is said that I am the last of my species, too—tho," Chantho said.

"Sorry, what was your name?" the Doctor asked.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," Yana replied. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

"_Claiming a land and wiping out the natives. That was nothing new_," Rose thought to the Doctor, who curled his lip.

"The city outside," he said out loud, leaning back. "That was yours?"

Chantho nodded. "Chan—the conglomeration died—tho."

"Conglomeration!" the Doctor cried. "That's what I said!"

Rose elbowed him in the side, giving him a look. "Rude," she told him.

"You're supposed to say 'sorry'," Jack added.

"Oh, yes," the Doctor said with a frown as he leaned forward. "Sorry."

Chantho bowed her head. "Chan—most grateful—tho."

He glanced over at Rose who shook her head at him. "Rude and not ginger."

He shrugged sheepishly in response. "Can't be helped. I was born this way."

"Don't I know it?" she chuckled.

"You grew another hand?" Martha asked again. Apparently she couldn't fathom the idea that the Doctor grew his hand back.

"Hello again," the Doctor said with a smile, wiggling his fingers at her again. She shook her head at him. Standing up from the seat he stepped closer to her and held out his hand. "It's fine. Look. Really, it's me."

Eyeing his hand she took it and shook it, laughing. "All this time and you're still full of surprises."

"Trust me, you have _no_ idea," Rose said from her spot.

He responded with a click of his tongue and a wink, letting go of Martha's hand.

Chantho chuckled. "Chan—you are most unusual—tho."

The Doctor shrugged and smirked. "Well…"

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head as she stood up from her seat and patted him on the back. Truer words never spoken.

"So, what about those things outside?" Jack asked. "The Beastie Boys. What are they?"

"We call them the Futurekind," Yana replied. "Which is a myth in itself but, uh, it is feared they are what we will become. Unless we reach Utopia."

"And Utopia is…" the Doctor trailed off.

Yana scoffed. "Oh, every human knows of Utopia. Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit," he answered seriously.

The old man wasn't convinced. "A hermit," he repeated, glancing between th others. "With…a wife and friends?"

He nodded. "Hermits United. My wife and I are the founders, and developed it with the others." Rose bit back on a laugh at his answer as he continued. "We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun…for a hermit. So, um…Utopia?"

Yana smirked and crooked his finger, beckoning them to come over to a computer on the other side of the room. "_Hermits, Doctor?_" Rose asked him through their link. "_Seriously?_"

_"What? Improvisation. It's a good method to have in situations, you know."_

"_Yeah, yeah, I know. Making up things as you go along. It's one of your specialties. Now whether or not you're usually brilliant at it…_"

He huffed out loud and nudged her shoulder as they came over to the computer labeled as the Gravitational Field Navigation System. A small red dot blipped in the corner.

"The call came from across the stars over and over again," the professor told them. "'_Come to Utopia_.' Originated from that point."

"Where is that?" the Doctor asked with a frown.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness. Out towards the wild lands and the dark matter reefs. Calling us in. The last of the humans. Scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?"

Yana shook his head. "I don't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now, perhaps they found it, perhaps not." Rose caught sight of a twinkle in the man's eyes. "But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Oh yes," the Doctor said with a wide smile as he looked up at the man before peering back at the screen. "And the signal keeps modulating, so it's not on automatic. That's a good sign. Someone's out there. And that's…ooh, that's a navigation matrix, isn't it? So you can fly without stars to guide you."

"Professor?" Rose said with concern as the old man began breathing heavily with his eyes clamped shut, holding onto a table. She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing his eyes to fly open.

The Doctor turned to face the man, equally concerned. "Professor?"

"I - Right, that's enough talk," Yana said quickly, recovering from himself. "There's work to do. Now if you could leave. Thank you."

As the man walked away, both the Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance before following him. "You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Yana assured. "And busy!"

The Doctor frowned at the man. He had a very good idea as to why he was throwing the topic off. Stepping closer to him, he talked to him gently. "Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it?" Yana exchanged a glance with Chantho, avoiding his eye contact as he continued. "This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way!" He cried irritably.

Rose stepped up. "You're stuck here," she said. "And you haven't told them, have you? All of those people out there, they still think they're gonna fly."

Letting out a sigh, Yana looked up at them. "Well, it's better to let them live in hope."

"Definitely," Rose commented. "Hope is always what people need when everything else is lost. It drives people in a way that many things can't. Keeps them going."

A small smile appeared on the Doctor's face as he leaned down to press a light kiss to the top of her head. Always said the right things.

"Quite right, too," he said. Shrugging off his coat, he threw it over to the lounge in the far corner. "And I must say, Professor…um, what was it?"

"Yana," the man said, looking at him oddly as he paced around the controls.

"Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost." He picked up a control box, examining it before flipping it over. "So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?"

Whipping out the sonic he ran it over the circuits then flipped the switch, causing sirens to go off and the rest of the equipment in the room to light up and whir back to life. Both Yana and Chantho looked around in disbelief.

"Chan—it's working—tho!" She exclaimed.

"But…how did you do that?" The professor asked in wonder.

The Doctor shrugged. "Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you," a wide grin came on his face. "I'm brilliant."

He nudged Rose's shoulder and waggled his eyebrows at her while she smiled at him.

Lieutenant Atillo's voice came over the intercom.**_ "All passengers prepare for immediate boarding. I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding. Destination: Utopia. All troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all troops fall back to the silo. I repeat, all passengers prepare for immediate boarding."_**

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

As the Doctor and Yana worked on the clear circuit in the center of the lab, Martha stood to the side and chatted with Chantho while Rose joined Jack by the seating area.

"How you feelin'?" she asked.

"Fine and fresh," he answered. "I've missed this."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"Oh, pretty much the same things you two crazy kids have been doing." He leaned over and grinned. "Maybe not everything you two have been up to, but to each is own, right?"

Rose blushed and lightly pushed him. "How many times have you been told to stop?"

"Aw, c'mon, Rose," he whined. "Please tell me how good he is. D'you how long I've wanted know?"

She paused at his words. He's waited a lot longer than she would've guessed had he not mentioned that he lived out the entirety of the 20th century to find the Doctor. "I'm so sorry, Jack," she told him. "About…changing you-"

"Hey, hey," he said gently, cupping her face. "Stop apologizing for it, Rose. I told you I'm fine with it. There's no need to be resentful."

"But…you'll never…" she trailed off and shook her head.

"That's fine," he stressed. "It is what it is, and that's okay with me. Don't feel bad for any of it, okay?" She hesitated before nodding. "Since we're reminiscing, what else happened that day? I mean, you said you became the Bad Wolf. Does that mean that you have her powers?"

"Uh…yes and no," she answered. "The Doctor thought he absorbed all of the Vortex out of me, but a smattering of it was left inside of me. They adjusted to my system and changed my DNA."

Jack's brows shot up. "Those are Huon particles," he said. "They're meant to burn up your cells."

"Except mine didn't. They merged with my system and connected me to the TARDIS, and now the Doctor. And I'll be able to live as long as him."

"Wow," Jack breathed out. "I always said that you're strong, Rose, and that just exceeded everything. Guess that means we all live forever, right? You, me, and the Doctor." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, God," she said with a laugh. "You're more lecherous than the Doctor."

"Ooh, you're adding more to the excitement," he said happily. "For someone trying to be so discreet, you seem to only make me even more curious. So? You gonna tell me now?"

"Tell you what?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "You know. How you and him…? How'd you get him out of his shell? 'Cause he wasn't this loosened up back when he was all ears and leather."

She smiled. "Dunno, really. I mean, we've always cared about each other, but one day…we finally admitted our true feelings for each other."

Jack arched an eyebrow. "Just like that? I didn't expect him to be so thorough."

"Well, it wasn't _that_ simple. He landed us in a planet dedicated entirely to Christmas. You know about it?"

A thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Were you attacked by killer nutcrackers?"

Rose burst into laughter. "No! Nothing like that happened."

"That's a shock, trouble seems to always come to you both," he joked before nodding. "Go 'head, continue."

Then Rose explained their entire day at Noel from their arrival, the anxiety and tension between them as they were reluctant to admit their true feelings for each other, then to the moment they finally did. Then she told him about Canary Wharf, and about their 'marriage' while being stuck in 1969.

Jack smiled. "A bit unexpected you thought, right?"

"A little," she agreed. "But it all worked out for the best."

"Definitely," he agreed as he pulled her in for a hug. "I'm happy for the both of you."

At contact she felt another sickening feeling come over her and she inwardly twitched again. She still hated that she had done this to her friend. Maybe one day she'll come to terms with what she had done to him even if he himself was accepting it well.

"Thanks, Jack," she said as she pulled back, trying to mask her uneasiness. "Sorry, 'm just a little…" she trailed off.

Jack nodded, a little dejected. "It's not a problem, Rosie. So…" A small glimmer flicked in his eyes. "Can you give me a hint? Just a small implication, or…something?"

Rose bit her lip and shook her head. "Jack—"

"Please, Rose," he pleaded, putting his hands together. "I've come a long way, and it would mean the world to me." She laughed again at his begging. "Just something I need to know before I die."

She snorted. "Until you come back to life again."

He nodded. "Touché. How good is he?"

Chancing a glance over to the other side of the room in the lab, she saw her husband focussed on his work with the professor. Seeing as his attention was elsewhere she leaned over to whisper to Jack. "He's _brilliant,"_ she told him with a wide smile.

Jack's face resembled that of a kid's on Christmas. "Oh, I knew it!" He exclaimed a little too loudly before Rose shushed him. "What else?" he said with a lower voice. "With him being a Time Lord, surely there's gotta be more impressive parts about him. Oh, c'mon, you can't leave me hanging now. Tell me more."

She bit her lip and looked over at the Doctor again, who was still preoccupied. As private as their intimate life was, she always wanted to keep those moments between them. Even though Jack was a dear old friend, she would never disclose anything of the nature. Discretion is definitely necessary.

"Trust me, he _is_ impressive," she told him, before adding, "Okay, he's more than that. That's all you need to know about him."

"_H__e_ has a name, you know," the Doctor suddenly called out from the other side of the room. "And _he_ could hear you two gossiping and would appreciate it if it were to end."

Jack grinned unabashedly while Rose blushed violently. Of course, she should've known—him and his 'superior physiology.' "Got us in trouble," he said, the grin still on his face as he giggled.

"Thanks for that, Jack," she said. Her eyes fell on the Doctor, still standing by the circuit board. _"Eavesdropper."_

_"Chatterbox,"_ he replied. _"And you say that** I've** got a gob. At least I have discretion."_

_"Would you rather I tell him every single **detail?"**_ she countered.

_"Definitely not. The last thing I need is Captain Jack Harkness up in my private affairs with my wife."_

Rose giggled out loud. _"Even you know you're **brilliant** at it, though."_

He turned his head to look at her from the circuit board, throwing a grin and a wink. Manly pride at its finest.

Shaking his head, the Doctor continued working on the circuit board, connecting the wires and cords. He noticed Yana looking at him with a raised eyebrow. The Doctor cleared his throat and ducked his head down as he worked.

He stopped for a moment when a smell hit his nose. It was from the cords. Bringing one up he sniffed it. "Is this…" he trailed off. He had a good idea of what it was, but couldn't believe it.

Yana looked up for a moment, embarrassed. "Oh, um, it's gluten extract. Binds the neutralino map together."

The Doctor blinked in amazement. "But…that's _food._ You've built this system out of food and string and staples." He smiled wide. "Professor Yana, you're a genius!"

The old man chuckled. "Says the man who made it work."

The Doctor continued to smile. Once again, a show of human brilliance. "Oh, it's easy coming in at the end, but you're stellar. This is-this is magnificent!"

"Even my title is an affectation," the professor said. "There hasn't been such a thing as a university for over a thousand years. I've spent my life going from one refugee ship to another."

"If you'd have been born in a different time, you'd be revered," the Doctor replied, his eyes fixed on connecting the cords. "I mean it, throughout the galaxies."

"Oh, those damn galaxies," Yana complained. "They had to go and collapse. Some admiration would have been nice. Just a little, just once."

"Well, you have it now," the Doctor told him. He paused as he studied the man. "That footprint engine thing, you can't activate it from onboard. It's got to be done from here. You're staying behind."

Yana nodded. "With Chantho. She won't leave without me. She simply refuses."

"You'd give your life so they could fly?"

"Think I'm a little too old for Utopia. Time I had some sleep."

The intercom buzzed again as Lieutenant Atillo came back on.**_"Professor, tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."_**

"Doctor," Jack called from the side as he stood in front of a monitor. Pointing at it, the others gathered around to see the TARDIS safely entering inside the silo and away from the Futurekind.

The Doctor clapped a hand on Yana's shoulder. "Professor, it's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out."

The guards wheeled the beautiful ship up to the lab and Rose smiled at the humming in her ears. Once the guards left the Doctor ran right inside to retrieve something then returned with a long, thick power line. He inserted it into an outlet by the wall.

"Extra power," he said. "Little bit of a cheat, but who's counting? Jack, you're in charge of the retro-feeds."

Martha came back in the lab with Chantho with more circuit boards. "Oh, am I glad to see that thing," she said.

"Same here," Rose agreed. With her peripheral vision she noticed the professor sitting down and appearing pale. What was wrong with this man?

"Chan—Professor, are you all right—tho?" Chantho asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Yana said, his face a little pained. "I'm fine. Just get on with it."

Jack took charge and directed Martha in the background. "Connect those circuits into the spar, same as that last lot."

"Yes, sir," Martha said with a laugh.

Studying the professor, Rose walked over to him. Chantho moved away to help Martha with whatever Jack was instructing her to do.

"You don't have to keep working," she told him gently. "The guys can handle it. The Doctor's brilliant at that those things."

Yana shook his head. "It's just a headache. Just…just noise inside my head. Constant noise inside my head."

"What sort of noise?" Rose asked with a frown.

The man tried to steady his breathing. "It's the sound of drums. More and more…as though it's getting closer."

That's an oddity. Drums? "How long have you had it?"

"Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour," he answered before offering her a tight smile. "Still, no rest for the wicked."

She smiled back at him as he stood up from his seat and went back to work. Studying him, she shook her head. Poor old man. It was interesting, though. How could someone have a constant noise pounding in their ears? Something was seriously wrong with the professor, she could sense it. Indefinable and vague though it was, he gave off some sort of…vibe. Maybe the Doctor can help him with them when this was all over.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_**"Professor Yana!"**_ Atillo called over the intercom, but was cutting out._**"Systems are…professor…you getting me?"**_

"I'm here!" Yana said quickly as he rushed over to sit by the computer. "We're ready! Now all you need to do is connect the couplings. Then we can launch." The connection suddenly cut again. "God sakes! This equipment! Needs rebooting all the time!"

Martha came over to him. "Anything I can do? I've finished that lot."

The old man nodded. "Yes, if you could…" he got up from his seat to let Martha sit down. "Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out."

"Certainly, sir," she said with a salute. "Just don't ask me to do shorthand."

Atillo finally came back on the screen.**_ "Are you still there?"_**

"Ah, present and correct," Yana said. "Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here."

The guard turned away from the screen to talk to someone off-screen before returning a moment later. _**"He's inside. And good luck to him."**_

Yana nodded before turning to Jack. "Captain, keep the levels below the red."

Rose moved over to peer at the screen as surveillance of a bright red room showed up, glowing and flickering. "That doesn't look good," she commented.

The Doctor came to join them. "Where is that room?"

"It's underneath the rocket," Yana told him. "Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

"Stet?" Rose repeated. She turned to the Doctor. "What's stet radiation?"

He shook his head. "Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't want to," Yana said. "But it's safe enough. We can hold the radiation back from here."

Watching on the screen they saw the man sent down to the chamber in a suit, carefully setting the first coupling into position. Suddenly an alarm blared. Yana looked at the readings.

"It's rising—naught point two." He looked over the screen to instruct Jack. "Keep it level!"

"Yes, sir!" he called back from his position by the controls.

The man dropped the next coupling, then to the third. The alarms were increasing, blaring even louder than before.

"Chan—we're losing power—tho!" Chantho cried.

Jack, Yana, and the Doctor immediately jumped over to different controls. "Radiation's rising!"

"We've lost control!" Jack cried.

"The chamber's going to flood," Yana told them frantically.

There wasn't much to do, but the Doctor had an idea. He may not know what stet radiation exactly was, but it wouldn't be anything good, that much he was sure of. "Jack! Override the vents!"

Jack did as told, but it was to no avail as the power continued to drain. The Doctor inwardly cursed. What else could they do to save that man?

"We can jump start the override!" Jack suddenly yelled as if answering his mental question.

Turning around he saw the captain holding two sparking cables in his hands.

"Don't! It's going to flare!" The Doctor shouted.

He was too late as Jack connected them. A painful scream escaped him as he shook from the power surge. Leaving his spot the Doctor went over to Rose, who was shaking from the unpleasant sight, and held her close. After another moment their friend stopped his convulsions before falling to the floor.

"Oh, my God," Rose whimpered quietly.

"He'll be all right," the Doctor told her in a hushed voice. "Remember?"

She looked up at him. "Still doesn't make this any less nerve-racking."

"I've got him!" Martha said as she quickly ran to his side to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Chantho joined her. "Chan—don't touch the cables—tho."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Yana said sadly.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" the Doctor asked, rubbing his hand down Rose's arm to comfort her.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start," the professor said before crying out, "It was all for nothing!"

"Oh, I dunno," he pressed a light kiss to Rose's temple before walking her over with him. He released her for a moment to pull Martha away from Jack. "Martha, leave him," he said softly.

"You've gotta let me try," she insisted.

"Doctor," Rose began, but just shook her head. Even if Jack was immortal, surely being struck with so much power was so excruciating and fatal.

"Come on, just listen to me. Now leave him alone," the Doctor said, wrapping his arm back around Rose's shoulders, making them step back. Turning his head to the professor, he spoke. "It strikes me, Yana, you've got a room a man can't enter without dying. Is that correct?"

The professor looked at him, perplexed. "Yes…"

The Doctor glanced over at Jack. "Well…"

As if on cue Jack gasped back to life again, making the others flinch. Rose shook her head. She'll never get used to that.

"…we've got just the man," the Doctor continued.

Jack looked around with a confused expression. "Was someone kissing me?"

Rose snorted while the Doctor rolled his eyes. "You really make a habit outta that, don't ya?" she asked him.

"Comes in handy," Jack said casually as he made his way to stand.

"Now, Jack," the Doctor began. "About the radiation chamber—we need to reattach the couplings—"

"Got it," the captain said with a nod.

"I didn't finish—"

"You didn't have to," Jack threw him a grin. "Chamber filled with a mysterious chemical that could kill an ordinary man, I suppose. Not hard to figure out, Doc."

The Doctor blinked and sighed. "Right then, let's get to it."

Moving over to the seating area, the men retrieved their coats and shrugged them on. Rose bit her thumbnail. Radiation always gave her twitchy feelings and the chills, and if the Doctor was even thinking about going anywhere near it…

Stepping up to him, she placed a hand on his arm. "I know you said that you'd give me a heads up if you were gonna go anywhere near radiation—"

"Rose, it's okay," he said. "I'm not entering a room filled with something that could kill me. I plan on keeping this body for a very long time," he said with a smirk.

She chuckled. "Vanity, Doctor?"

"Nope." He cupped her face and gave her a brief kiss.

"Aw," they heard Jack coo from behind, causing them to break apart with a groan. "What about me?" He said, holding his arms out. "Don't I get a kiss?"

"You've already had way too many today," the Doctor told him with an arched eyebrow. "And by your _own_ doing, so hold onto _them."_

Jack pouted. "Not much has changed." Rose snorted and walked over to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled. "At least _one_ person is being kind."

"Well, she _was_ always more kind than me," the Doctor said.

She patted his arm and told Jack. "Don't blame him, he was born rude," she said with a smile. The Doctor rolled his eyes as a response.

Jack moved to the door to leave, but when the Doctor went to follow him, Rose stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Be careful," she told him. "Both of you."

He smiled and gave her another quick peck on the lips before walking out of the room, meeting the captain.

"So…" Jack began as he joined him. "A little birdy told me you were brilliant—"

"Stop it," the Doctor said with seriousness as they broke into a run. Time to send those people to their safe haven.

* * *

**Response to _newboy:_ Yeah, it'd be neat to see another sword fight between the Doctor and the Master after so many years. And it'd be even better since Ten's got his fightin' hand on his side xD**

**Response to _sarcasticturtle: T_hank you! I'm glad you loved it! And thanks for telling me about that little typo ;)**


	53. Utopia Part 3

**A/N: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.**

**Hope you all had a nice Easter! Or Passover, whatever you celebrate :) Sorry to dampen the mood with this chapter. ****As always, many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! **

* * *

_**Chapter 53: Utopia Part 3**_

While both Rose and Martha remained down in the lab with Professor Yana and Chantho to assist them in anything else they may need help with, the Doctor and Jack dashed down the corridors of the silo to get to the radiation chamber as fast as possible. Passing through they glanced over at a small group of the people lined up on the ground. It was a depressing sight for sure, but all those people had hope to find their sanctuary, and they could have their wishes granted in a matter of moments. Driven solely by hope can lead one out of their darkest of days. Coming from experience, the Doctor knew that all too well. Especially when it came to believing in the woman who was now his wife.

Finally coming up to the radiation chamber they saw Lieutenant Atillo sitting behind a control desk.

"Lieutenant, get onboard the rocket!" the Doctor ordered as he made his way around to urge the man out of his seat. "I promise you're gonna fly."

Atillo stood up, but still protested. "The chamber's flooded!"

"Trust me," he said, accessing the controls. "We've found a way of tripping the system. Run!" Glancing up he saw the guard leaving as well as Jack removing his shirt, leaving him standing in only a white undershirt. "Wh-what are you taking your clothes off for?"

Jack raised his brows. "I'm going in," he said, stating the obvious.

"Well, by the looks of it, I'd say that stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh," the Doctor told him.

The captain threw him a wink. "I look good though." He ran over to the door, but came to a stop. He turned his head to glance at the Doctor. "You've known this whole time?"

"Yeah. Ever since I ran away from you," the Doctor answered. "And that's _why_ I ran. Good luck."

Jack nodded before entering the room, heading straight for the couplings as the Doctor stood and watched from the window.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Back in the lab, the girls sat by the computer screen with Professor Yana and Chantho behind them. Watching the surveillance the picture was clear until it suddenly cut out and turned into static.

"What happened?" Rose asked. "It was fine not too long ago."

"We lost the picture when that thing flared up," Martha said, hitting the reboot key before clicking the comm on. "Doctor, are you there?"

_**"Receiving, yeah,"**_ the Doctor said. _**"He's inside."**_

"And still alive?" Martha asked.

_**"Oh, yes."**_

"Won't be for long," Rose muttered under her breath.

"But he should _evaporate_," Yana remarked incredulously, shaking his head. "What sort of a man is he?"

"It's…complicated," Rose answered lamely albeit truthfully. Jack was just so…impossible. Even more now that he was immortal all by her doing. "When you travel with the Doctor, you're bound to run into interesting people."

Yana stared blankly at her. "This is an occurrence for you both?"

"Well…" she trailed off.

"The Doctor sort of travels through time and space and picks people up," Martha cut in. "God, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."

Rose furrowed his brows and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "No, you're not," she said firmly. "You're our friend, and you're brilliant. The Doctor only takes the best, and that's what you are."

Martha smiled at her as she rubbed her arm . How could their friend think that way? None of the Doctor's companions over the years were strays or unimportant. Every single one of them had something intriguing about them. And Martha was no exception.

"You travel in _time?"_ Yana asked.

"Yep," Rose said, nodding back at the TARDIS. "In that box. It's called a TARDIS. Stands for 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space'.

"The sports car of time travel," Martha added with a smile.

Rose caught a slight glance of the professor eyeing the ship oddly. Culture shock. Always was a given.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"When did you first realize?" the Doctor asked as he watched Jack work on the coupling through the window of the radiation chamber.

"Earth, 1892," Jack answered. "Got in a fight on Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart, then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, starvation, a stray javelin…"

The Doctor inwardly winced. That was an awful lot of painful deaths. And he thought he himself was a man constantly faced with troubles.

"In the end, I got the message," he continued. "I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."

The Doctor sighed. "That's why I left you behind. I'm sorry. The whole incident was just…mayhem. I was regenerating, and I had to get Rose out of there. It's not easy to even just _look_ at you, Jack, 'cause you're wrong.

"Thanks," Jack hissed.

"You are, I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord; it's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space—you're a _fact_. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you—tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you." He paused for a second. "Rose was able to sense it, too. She's connected to the TARDIS, so whatever the Old Girl feels can transfer into her, much like myself, but her case is more…unique." He scrubbed a hand down his jaw. "I know you're probably thinking that it's prejudiced, but I never thought of it that way. It's what I do, and now Rose feels the same inside."

"Wouldn't have guessed that from her first reaction to me."

"She ignored it. She knew deep down that you were wrong, but couldn't describe it." The Doctor paused again. "I never told her about you 'cause I knew how upset she would be—especially at me for keeping it to myself for so long. I should've told her the truth sooner, and you deserved an explanation for my actions. If I had done that…things would be better, in terms of what the three of us had been through."

"So many apologies today," Jack remarked. "So you ran 'cause you were afraid," he concluded.

The Doctor sighed. "Not so much _afraid,_ just…itchy. Like I said, it's instinctual when it comes to things…related to your situation. Of course I ran. Spent all my lives running, and I suppose it'll never stop."

"Not as long as you've got your wife by your side," Jack said with a smirk as he continued working. "Last thing I remember back when I was mortal," he began. "I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?"

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at him. "Thought you already knew?"

He shrugged. "A little more description would be better."

"It was all Rose," the Doctor simply said. "I sent her away, but she came back - opened the Heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the Time Vortex."

"Yeah, I got _that_ important detail," Jack said with a laugh. "But what does that mean, exactly?"

The elegant vision of his Rose bathed in the golden light and casting her angelic glow came over him again. The Bad Wolf howling at the Daleks, and protecting him from extermination. "No one's ever meant to have that power," he said with a faraway look. "If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god—a _vengeful_ god. But she was human." He smiled proudly. "Everything she did was _so_ human. She brought you back to life, but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was _life_."

It definitely made up a little something for the entirety of the depression and carnage left in its wake, for sure. When Hell itself rained down on those dark days of blood, anger, and destruction, in the end a savior was sent down to end it all, to bring life when everyone was ankle-deep in death.

"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack asked.

The Doctor shook his head, coming back to the present. "I took the power out of her. Well, _mostly_, I should say. Everything was burning her mind up. It would've killed her. So I absorbed it from her, and that's how I regenerated—I saved her after she saved me. What's left inside of her is the residual energy that integrated with her DNA, making her as she is now."

"It's incredible," Jack breathed out.

"That it is."

"She told me that she has an extended lifetime, one much like yourself. And that you both can actually spend forever together."

"Oh, yes."

"Then that makes Rose a fixed point in time, too, doesn't it?" Jack said as he worked on a system panel.

He sucked in a breath. "Well…it's complicated. The thing was that, even when she became Bad Wolf, everything that we were and are merged. It was always meant to happen, even when we didn't realize it."

"In other words, you two hooking up rewrote time," Jack said with a grin.

The Doctor pressed his lips together at his words. "I wouldn't describe it _that_ way…" a slow smile spread on his face. "But yeah, we did."

"She also told me all about your little trip—the one where you both finally came to."

The Doctor chuckled. "Figured that. I heard a great deal of what you two were gossiping about earlier."

Jack glanced up for a second. "So I guess that makes you nosy since she's Rosie." The Doctor shook his head and smirked. That was new. Another bad pun. "Still…you know there's always an offer if the two of you would want me to—"

"Jack," the Doctor said in a warning tone.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I'm guessin' it was harder for you to open up to her about…everything else, and took you a while to accept all of that, huh? Rose spending the rest of her life with you."

The Doctor nodded. "Oh, yes," he breathed out. "I never believed it would be possible, Jack. Any of it. But Rose…is Rose. She was being herself and she just…" he trailed off.

Possibly the only thing that could put a stop to his unstoppable gob was that lovely pink and yellow human. There were so many words in existence in the universe, but none could ever to justice for all of the things she did to him. From saving him to completely amazing him in more ways than one.

"Made you better," Jack finished for him.

"Yeah. Despite everything she's been put through, everything that _I_ put her through, she's still here. To stay with me forever."

Jack snorted. "Accepting you as her husband must've tickled you pink."

The Doctor laughed. "You have _no_ idea." His smile dropped. "Still…while the universe was finally being kind to me I still have this notion that it'll find another way to ruin my life."

Jack raised his head and furrowed his brows. "You better not be saying that Rose is _ruining_ your life-"

"No! No no no, that wasn't what I meant," he assured quickly. "Of course she isn't. She's undoubtedly the best part of me and, while I may never understand still to this day how the hell she stands me, I'm more than grateful that she came into my life."

"That's what I thought," Jack said with a smile. "I went back to her estate in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up. Never said hello, timelines and all that. Then I saw her name on the list after Canary Wharf…" he paused.

The Doctor studied the captain. Chatting like this was reminiscent of the old days when they were all friends travelling in the TARDIS. That friend was still here—with a few minor changes—but still all the same. Both Jack and Rose were close, so of course he'd miss her dearly just as much as he himself would. If only he had gone back to explain everything to him.

"Do you wanna die?" the Doctor asked him softly.

Jack ignored him as he struggled with one of the couplings. "This one's a little stuck," he muttered.

"Jack."

Stopping his actions, he let out a sigh and looked up at him. "I _thought_ I did," he admitted. "I dunno. But this lot, you see them out here surviving and that's fantastic," he said with a grin.

It mirrored on the the Doctor's face as Jack worked on the last coupling. It _was_ fantastic. "You may be out there somewhere," he told him.

The captain nodded, the grin still on his face. "I could go meet myself."

The Doctor sniffed. "Well, the only man you're ever gonna be happy with."

Jack arched an eyebrow at him. "This new regeneration…it's kinda cheeky."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Blinking as her eyes became misty Rose let everything sink in from the conversation between the Doctor and Jack over the intercom. Their friend went through a hell of a lot of pain since the last time they met. How could he have gotten himself killed so many times? Probably flirted with the wrong people, she guessed jokingly. Brushing that off, she understood everything.

All this time when she thought Jack was rebuilding the Earth as the Doctor had told her when the actuality was completely different. And she couldn't blame the Doctor—fully—for not telling her. While she was furious at him for lying to her about Jack's whereabouts and deciding not to tell her the truth, she understood his reasoning. Fixed points in time were dicey, and he knew about them more than anyone else. She herself learned the consequences of tampering with fixed points, like when she came into contact with her actual father in the past before he died.

If only she felt the twitches then. But because she was connected to the TARDIS, things like that affected her much like they did to the Doctor. That didn't mean they couldn't still interact with Jack. They just had to deal with the uneasy vibe he gave off.

Another thing that got her was the Doctor's responses to being married. Granted she already knew how giddy he was still about the whole thing—much like herself—but hearing him tell it to others made her heart warm up.

"I never understand half the things he says," Martha said, bring her out of her musings. "Of course you'd be able to keep up with him, Rose."

"Yeah, s'pose so," she said with a smile. Out of the corner of her eye she realized that the professor had walked off. Turning around she noticed the man standing up and facing the TARDIS behind them, his body shuddering.

"Professor," she said, moving over to him. "You okay?"

He didn't respond. "Chan—Professor, what is it—tho?" Chantho asked as both she and Martha approached him as well.

Coming to his side Rose was saddened to see the old man's cheeks glistening with fresh tears, and she was certain they weren't of joy. Bringing up a hand she rubbed his arm comfortingly. "'S okay," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Time travel," he said, his eyes still on the TARDIS. "They said there was time travel back in the old days. I never _believed._ But what would I know? I'm just a stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an object. "Even this thing never worked."

Rose's eyes widened when she saw what the object was—an old fob watch. She glanced over at Martha. It couldn't be what she was thinking of. Right? It just couldn't.

"Time and time and time again," the professor continued. "Always running out on me."

Rose bit her lip. "Can I have a look at that?" she asked kindly, though her stomach was trembling.

"Oh, it's only an old relic," Yana said with a chuckle. "Like me."

"Where did you get it?" Martha asked.

"Hm? I was found with it," he answered.

Oh, God. "How do you mean 'found'?" Rose asked, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart from ripping out of her chest. She blocked the Doctor from sensing her anxiety. The last thing she wanted was for him to freak out while he was trying to work.

Yana frowned. "An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation." He nodded at the watch. "Abandoned with only this."

"Have you opened it?" Martha asked curiously.

"Why would I? It's broken."

Martha shook her head. "How do you know it's broken if you never opened it?"

Rose turned her head to shoot a sharp glance at her. If this was what she thought…

"It's stuck," Yana said as he fiddled with it. "It's old. It's not meant to be. I dunno."

Swallowing hard she reached out, trying to mask her trembling as she took the watch from his hand. She slowly turned it over…and her breathing stopped altogether. Stepping away she handed it back. It wasn't an ordinary watch, not for a long shot.

It had Gallifreyan scripture engraved on the casing. Professor Yana was a _Time Lord._

The Doctor had told her many times that they all had died. She herself saw the events of Time War in his mind when they bonded, and thought it was true. Apparently they both were wrong. There was still one around. It all made sense now; since the Time Lords had the technology to make themselves become human, it would have been the perfect defense mechanism for escaping the War. The Doctor had said not even the Time Lords came this far to the end of the universe, and it was the perfect place to hide away.

The Doctor wasn't the last. He wasn't alone. Her breath hitched again when she recalled familiar words said to him by the Face of Boe: 'You are not alone.' When abbreviated…it was Y-A-N-A. Oh, God. The TARDIS hummed in her mind warily, which wasn't always a good sign. Maybe the Old Girl had an idea of which one this was. She needed to find out.

"Does it matter?" Yana asked curiously, glancing between them.

"No," Rose said quickly. "It's…nothing. It's not…" she tried to calm her breathing as she turned to Martha. "Listen, everything's fine up here, Martha. Why don't you see if the Doctor needs you."

Martha shook her head. "Why—"

"Just go," she said evenly with a nod, which contrasted with the shaking of her nerves. "It'll be okay."

Her friend looked at her cautiously and quietly said, "Be careful with him," before running out of the room.

As much as she knew how upset the Doctor would be once he found out, she knew he'd be worse knowing that she was staying in the lab with the man. But she needed to know who this man was.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"Yes!" Jack cried cheerfully as he released the last coupling.

"Now get out of there!" the Doctor called. "Come on!" He ran over to the phone as the captain made his way out of the chamber and threw his shirt back on. "Lieutenant, everyone on board?"

_**"Ready and waiting,"** _Atillo answered.

"Stand by! Two minutes to ignition."

_**"Ready to launch. Outer doors sealed. Countdown commences T minus ninety-nine…ninety-eight…"**_

The countdown continued as both the Doctor and Jack turned to the large panel of dials, switches, and other various controls. Immediately working on them, they tried to figure out what did what. Giving instructions to the captain, they saw Martha burst in.

"Ah, nearly there," the Doctor said. "The footprint is a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It's gonna take the both of us to keep it stable."

"Doctor, it's the professor," Martha told him. "He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it. Same…everything."

He glanced down at her and blinked a few times. That wasn't possible. "Don't be ridiculous," he said as he turned back to his work.

"We asked him. He said he's had it all his life."

He looked back down at her, feeling a short wave of panic hit him before returning to the controls. It couldn't be, it was _impossible._

"So he's got the same watch," Jack said.

"Yeah, but it's not a watch," Martha told him. "It's this chameleon thing."

"No, no, no," the Doctor said perturbed by the situation as he moved frantically around the controls. "It's this…this-this-this thing, this device. It re-writes biology, changes a Time Lord into a human." Jack raised his head up with a shocked expression on his face. "But it can't be. It _can't _be." He whipped around. "Where's Rose? Where is she?"

"In the lab," Martha told him. "She told me to come down here."

He looked at her confused. Why wasn't she telling him all of this through their bond? She's been silent ever since he came down to the chamber.

"I thought you would've known that already," Martha said. "You two are constantly talkin' through your minds."

He shook is head. "Not _all_ the time. She must've sensed something and kept it to herself. If he could be a telepath she shut herself off so not to get his attention."

"But he's a human right now," Martha reminded.

An alarm blared and the Doctor dashed over to try to shut it off. He tried to alert Rose, to know what exactly was going on, but there was nothing on the receiving end. _"Rose, what's going on?"_ Nothing._ "Rose, love, let me in. Tell me."_

He was being calm all the while his body was shaking. She was keeping herself locked up. Of course she would. All of the lessons they've had has made her excel, and now she was pushing it to her advantage. But she wasn't even letting him in, and he needed her to.

"So he could be a Time Lord," Jack said, walking over to him. "You might not be the last one."

"Jack, keep it level!" the Doctor ordered, his hearts racing but not as fast as his mind was. If the professor was a Time Lord, which one was he? He kept flipping through all of the possible ones.

"But isn't that brilliant?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, it is," he said distractedly. "'Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them, they _died."_

"Not if he was human," Jack stated.

_Rassilon, don't do this to him._

Losing his patience the Doctor whipped around to face Martha again. "What did he say, Martha?" he asked urgently but in quiet voice. She hesitated with no response and he felt himself snap as he towered over her. "WHAT DID HE SAY?!" he shouted.

She was taken aback by his tone and stammered. "He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it…like that perception filter thing."

"And what about _now_? Can he see it now?"

Martha bit her lip when she nodded and the Doctor's eyes widened. His wife was up there with another Time Lord. But which one?

The countdown continued above them.**_ "Thirteen…twelve…eleven…ten…"_**

"If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide," Jack said as he rushed back over and handed the Doctor a key. "The end of the universe."

The Doctor wasn't paying any attention as he smashed a button to activate the launch while his mind raced. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. Breathing heavily he recalled the Face of Boe's dying words, the words he's wondered what the exact meaning was: You are not alone. Connecting the dots he finally saw it: Y-A-N-A.

His eyes widened again. "_Rose_," he tried again._ "What's going on up there?_" Still no response. He cursed inwardly, not at her, but at this whole situation.

All he kept thinking about was that they should've stayed on their honeymoon _much_ longer.

Before they could run up, the Doctor rushed over to the phone. "Lieutenant, have you achieved velocity?" No answer. "Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?" he asked quickly.

_**"Affirmative,"**_ Atillo finally said. _**"****We'll see you in Utopia."**_

"Good luck," he told him.

Hanging it up he ran down the corridor with the others right behind him. They needed to get back to that lab right away. Rose was up there with the man, and he needed her to be safe.

But he was cut off when the door suddenly shut on them. "Bollocks!"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Back in the lab Rose studied the professor warily as he looked thoughtfully at the watch. Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it from where he stood, which wouldn't be good as he could sense her fear. It gave off a certain twitchy feeling that didn't agree with her insides, so of course this was bad. Very, very _bad._ After witnessing the Doctor's childhood she knew there were only a few Time Lords that would be worth encountering—if it were ever possible. But apparently it was.

Her guesses were pretty justifiable. He was hiding from the War. He ran away before his planet perished. The Doctor wasn't the only one who ran away, but something in the back of her mind kept telling her that he wasn't right. Who's essence was imprisoned inside of the cogs of that watch?

"Chan-Yana, won't you please take some rest-tho," Chantho said gently.

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Just come sit down. That watch isn't important, just leave it be."

The professor continued to stare at it. "It's…calling to me," he said with a strange look in his eye. "There's a voice."

She was taken back to when the Doctor had used the Chameleon Arch to make himself human and when she had to convince him to change back. Only this time she wanted this man to stay as he was. A tugging feeling in the back of her head was telling her that whoever he really was wasn't someone like the Doctor.

Her breath hitched when she heard a menacing voice come from the watch. _"The drums, the drums, the drums, the never-ending drumbeat. Open me, you human fool. Open the light and summon me. Receive my majesty!"_

Yeah, that was definitely _not_ good.

Another hum from the TARDIS alerted her and she inwardly trembled. Thinking deeply Rose pondered the possible Time Lords. Chantho led the man to the other side of the room and Rose began to tear her mind apart, but the sound of an explosion got her attention. It was the rocket. All of those people were off to find their sanctuary. She couldn't help but smile for a moment.

Quickly slipping inside the TARDIS she shut the door and ran up the ramp. "Who is he?" She asked the ship frantically. "I heard a voice and he sounded…bad. Did you recognize it?"

The TARDIS sent a wave of images of the Time Lord's past incarnations, and she gasped. "No," she breathed out. A sharp chill shot down her spine when she knew who he was.

_"Rose,"_ she heard the Doctor speak in her mind, his concern and fear evident. "_What's going on up there?"_

Running down the ramp she was met with the professor cornering Chantho, who was holding a ray gun, with one of the large wires sparking at the end preparing to strike her with them. Looking at the levers pulled down and the screens, she saw that the defenses were down and the others were locked out.

"Chan—Professor, please—tho!"

"THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" He shouted. "'The Professor' was an invention. So perfect a disguise that I forgot who I am."

"Chan—then who are you—tho?"

Standing in the door of the TARDIS Rose swallowed hard as she spoke the man's identity. "Master," she breathed out both out loud and through their bond, immediately feeling the Doctor's apprehension.

The man finally turned to face her for a moment and she shivered. What used to be a kind old man looking for a purpose was brushed away completely and replaced by another ancient man with a cold hard look in his eyes.

A crooked grin appeared on his face. "A good girl, you are. Very smart."

In a flash he struck Chantho with the wire, making her scream in pain before falling to the ground. Rose ran over to him and seized his arms from behind, but with his Time Lord strength he whipped around and grabbed both of her wrists tightly, bringing them behind her back as he pressed himself closer.

"I guess I was wrong," he growled. "You're a _bad_ girl. You will listen to your Master."

Rose responded by stepping on his foot as she fought in his grasp. He shoved her hard against the TARDIS doors and advanced on her, gripping her wrists. He stopped and moved his eyes over to her left one. A faint glimmer casted off of her bracelet and he smiled.

"Ooh, would you look at that," he stretched out. "He _really_ committed to you, hasn't he?" He chuckled. "He's always had an infatuation with you _disposable_ humans, but I never thought he'd want a worthless _ape_ like yourself as his _wife."_

She kneed him in the gut and he staggered a bit. "You'll wanna rethink that."

She went to punch him in the face but he dodged her attack and snaked a hand around to the back of her head, pulling her hair. In the corner of her eye she saw Chantho weakly lifting up her gun, preparing to shoot the Master. Shifting a bit she brought him in the way of the gun, but she blacked out when she felt her head connect hard against the TARDIS door frame just as the shot was fired.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

"Get it open! the Doctor shouted frantically as he banged his hand on the door that suddenly shut on them and locked. "Get it open!"

Jack immediately went to the keypad on the side while the Doctor grabbed his sonic and ran it over the door. Getting them to slide open they ran down another corridor only to skid to a stop once they saw the Futurekind in the far distance that somehow entered the silo. Brilliant. Taking another route as the beasts chased them, Jack ran ahead.

"This way!"

Suddenly the Doctor gasped when he finally got a response from Rose…but it wasn't anything good. He was sure his hearts stopped beating when he felt her fear through the bond along with the name of the man's true identity. One of which was the very _last_ person he wanted to meet ever again.

_The Master._

Of all of the Time Lords—no, not even just _them._ Of all of the _beings_ to exist in the entire _universe,_ it had to be _him._ Possibly, which was what he was hoping for, the only Time Lord left save for himself that was alive and it was _the Master._ And he had to have _Rose_ with him. Knowing him as well as he did that madman would do any and everything to destroy him. And Rose was collateral damage. He would do unspeakable and cruel things to _her_ because of _him. _That was all the fuel to the added fire he needed as they came across the lab doors, which were locked as well.

"_Get it open_!" He growled as he banged on the doors while Jack worked on the keypad.

Looking through the window he saw no one, not even Rose. Rassilon, he hoped she wasn't harmed. Trying to speak via their link for some kind of feedback he panicked when he received a silent buzz. She was asleep. No…unconscious for the moment. The increasing combination of vexation and apprehension was never a good mix, and it was all that was boiling inside of him.

"Let me in!" he yelled. "Please! It doesn't have to be like this! Please, just let me in!"

Still nothing. Stringing out a variation of curses in his native tongue he whipped out the sonic and ran it over the door, desperately trying to pry it open. The Master was in there, he could easily be felt in his mind. Having a mind like that which felt like twisted wires and scrambling static wasn't one worth feeling, not in the slightest. And it was all he could feel at the moment since Rose still hasn't come to consciousness yet. Ignoring the other man's presence he focussed solely on getting to his wife out of that maniac's reach before she was hurt worse.

A shot was fired and his breath hitched. Hurrying up he frantically continued running the sonic over the door, but wasn't getting anywhere with it. Letting out another curse he pocketed it.

"They're coming!" Martha screamed as the Futurekind were well on their way.

What little patience was left inside of the Doctor snapped as he shoved Jack aside from the control panel. Grinding his teeth down he growled again before smashing his fist straight through the keypad repeatedly. Pain shot up his arm with every punch, but he didn't care. Sparks flew out and burned against the faint cuts splitting his knuckles, but it barely phased him. The moment the door slid open he dashed inside completely forgoing Jack and Martha. Upon entering he saw Chantho lying on the ground motionless with a ray gun placed a few inches from her outstretched arm. Then he caught sight of Rose's body sprawled out in the entrance of the TARDIS and his blood boiled. Glancing up he looked straight into the familiar callous eyes of his adversary, who convulsed as he held his wife's limp form in his arms.

That was all it took to drive the Doctor impossibly further over the edge. With a nasty snarl as he lunged forward to grab her, but the bastard was too fast as he backed into the TARDIS with Rose, shutting the doors right in his face. Hearing them locked he pulled his key out and inserted it, but it was useless as the deadbolt was flipped. Cursing again he brought out the sonic again only to be met with the same result.

Backing away he ran his eyes over the TARDIS. "Deadlocked," he muttered before shouting, "Let me in!"

"She's dead," he heard Martha say in a quiet voice. Turning around he saw he kneeling beside Chantho with a hand to her neck, looking for a pulse.

"You've broken the lock!" Jack hollered as he was struggling with the door, desperately trying to keep the Futurekind out. The captain glanced up at him. "Give me a hand!"

Not even concerned by that he turned back to face the doors. "Everything's changed," he called to the Master again. "It's not like it used to be, we're the only ones left. Just stop this. It doesn't have to be this way." He walked back up to the doors and pounded on them. "Give her back to me! Please! Let me in!"

From the inside he heard a faint cry, and he was quite familiar with it. A bright golden glow shone out from the windows. He was regenerating—the Master reborn. He backed away again and shook his head. _Perfect._ At the end of the universe with ravenous beings on their tails along with being locked out of the TARDIS with his wife inside with the returning lunatic. He was _really_ batting a thousand right now.

A small flicker came into his mind and his brows shot up. Rose was waking up shortly, he could sense it. Gently trying to nudge her mind, he tried to speak through to her but was interrupted by Jack screaming in the background.

"Doctor! You'd better think of something!"

His hands trembled as he balled them into fists. _"Rose,"_ he spoke to her, trying to remain calm but failing. _"Are you—"_

_**"Now then, Doctor,"** _a voice called out from the TARDIS speaker. _**"Ooh, new voice. Hello. Hellooo. Helllloooo!"**_ He spoke, alternating between high and low pitches, only infuriating the Doctor even more. The voice may be different but the deriding tone never changed after all this time. **_"Anyway…why don't we sit down and have a nice little chat where I can tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me and save your precious lady wife? I don't think!"_**

"Hold on!" Martha called from where she was helping Jack with keeping the Futurekind out. "I know that voice!"

"Please," the Doctor pleaded quietly. "Please, I'm asking real properly, just stop! She has nothing to do with you. Just let her go. Just think!"

_**"Use my name,"**_ the other man taunted.

"Master." Feeling the bile rise up in his throat as he spoke his name, the venom in his voice attempted to thicken, but he tried to remain as even and calm as possible. "Listen to me. Stop this. Everything's _changed. _Just let her go, or else I'll have to stop you."

**"So sentimental," **the Master said with a laugh. **_"Goodbye, Doctor."_**

The engines started to groan and he heard Rose in his mind stirring back to consciousness. Seething with a rage still boiling in his blood the Doctor pulled out the sonic, holding it up as he attempted to stop Her from dematerializing. Both Jack and Martha were yelling for him in the background, but he paid no mind to them.

**_"Oh, no you don't!"_ **the Master yelled from the speaker. He heard him shifting around the console. _**"End of the universe. Have fun. Bye bye!"**_

Not on his watch. With eyes as sharp as daggers glued onto his ship the Doctor flicked the sonic on another setting, one that he wouldn't want to choose but it was his last resort: fusing the coordinates so that the Master would only be able to be grounded in the TARDIS's previous stop—Earth.

As his beloved ship began to disappear, he sent a reassuring promise to his beloved wife through their bond that she would hear the moment she woke up. _"I'll find you, Rose. I **promise.** I **always** come for you."_

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**And so it begins…**


	54. The Master's Captive

**A/N: *TRIGGER WARNING***

**I know this chapter may make people's skin crawl, but as much as no one would want this to happen, this is expected with someone as twisted as the Master. ****I've told some of you ahead of time that when the Master came into the picture it wouldn't be pretty.**

**Please know that I _don't_ condone such violence against women. It's the unfortunate case with this. ****If you're uncomfortable reading this material, then please _don't._ I understand your discomfort since I made myself cringe a bit. M****uch love to all of you amazing viewers, your feedback is always greatly appreciated.**

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_**Chapter 54: The Master's Captive**_

A little disoriented as she was Rose knew she was in the TARDIS…whether or not that would imply she was safe and sound was another matter. But then everything came back to her before she was knocked out, and she couldn't help but panic. That's when she heard a familiar voice in her mind.

_"I'll find you, Rose. I **promise.** I **always** come for you."_

Just hearing the Doctor's calming voice in her mind was enough to make her feel at ease…at least until the point when she felt him drifting away. She felt emptiness. Not completely though as the TARDIS was humming angrily in her mind, and judging by how much her head was spinning, they were in-flight. She had a pretty good idea of who the pilot was.

She could only imagine how _infuriated_ the Doctor was at this very moment, concerned for her safety as well as the TARDIS's. The moment she found out that the professor was a Time Lord, she was curious to know exactly which one the man was. How much she was regretting it now.

A light throbbing ache grew on the back of her head, the start of a lump forming. Accident prone indeed. Luckily her healing abilities were more advanced than average, so it wouldn't last no more than a day or two. She realized that she was standing against one of the coral struts in the console room with her arms raised, her hands and ankles bound together with a strong rope made out of some odd material resembling metal, digging into her skin. Probably unbreakable. Trying to wiggle out of them her guess was proved to be correct. Why did there have to be unbreakable items such as _these_ onboard?

To be fair, the Doctor never imagined the TARDIS being abducted by his arch enemy. The Doctor may be a madman in a box, but the man that was occupying it now was downright _insane_ and one slip away from an even greater accident.

Looking up at the ceiling Rose tried to communicate with the TARDIS, but the Old Girl just continued to hum angrily in her ears. "I'm sorry," she told the ship. "I really did it now."

Her hums became calmer. _"You are not to blame, my Wolf. This was not supposed to happen."_

"I should've alerted the Doctor sooner," she said before shaking her head furiously. "I'm so stupid! All of this could've been avoided if I had told him—"

_"It was not your fault. Try to remain calm. The Diseased One is ruthless, and will do everything in his power to get what he wants."_

Rose closed her eyes. 'Diseased' was a little modest and a bit of an understatement when describing him. It _would_ have to be the shattered and twisted up mind of his once best friend. That was why she sent Martha down to the Doctor; she wanted to stay with the TARDIS so that if the Time Lord was in fact one of the dangerous ones she saw in the Doctor's mind she would make sure the ship was defended. The worst possible scenario ended up happening anyways. Fan-bloody-tastic.

In the far distance she heard the agitating sounds of a man singing pleasantly. The voice was entirely different than the one before she blacked out. The Master must've regenerated. Oh, lovely. Now he was younger and stronger. Just what she needed. He did a small slide out of the corridor as he finished his jolly tune, his back to her. His new body was younger for sure, looking to be in his thirties. Tall and thin with short, dark hair and dressed in a black suit appearing like a politician or some other occupation of high authority. Of course he would, it was his nature.

"Lovely selection in the wardrobe," he was saying. "Of course not much of it is really my taste, but who cares about that. As long as I make the usual impression."

Rose curled her lip in disgust as she watched. "Of course…the Master," she spat with distaste.

He turned on his heels and faced her. "Ah, the lowly human awakens," he sneered with a smug smile on his face. "About time, too. The fun is just beginning."

"I'm sure it'll be a _thrill,"_ she said thickly dripping with sarcasm.

His eyes widened much like his smile. "Oh, ho, definitely." He slowly strode over to her, eyes moving over her captive form. "You're probably wondering why the specific type of rope I had chose for you. It's actually quite incredible. Unbreakable alloy lariat. Who would've thought that the Doctor would even carry such bondage." A predatory look flicked in his eyes. "Must have a few kinks he's wanted to fulfill and perform with you. He _did_ always have a liking to your kind on your silly, little planet. Probably picked up a few handy tips on tumescence and carnal knowledge over the years."

She glared at him. This man was a freak. A flat out perverted nutjob. "If anyone's got sadomasochistic tendencies, it's _you. The Master,"_ she said with disdain. "A man who wants to rule, who loves to inflict pain and humiliation on others for his own sick needs."

How the hell was there a time when he and the Doctor were friends?

The grin never left his face. "I love it when you say my name." He brought a hand up a hand to stroke her cheek. "Since we've passed that part in knowing each other's names, we're getting closer to knowing each other very well."

Rose recoiled at his touch and shot him a dirty look. _"Don't_ touch me, you sick _bastard," _she spat.

"Mmm, so _feisty,"_ he said with a growl. "That must be how you've convinced him to bond with you. Must be quite the turn on for him."

"Where is he?" She asked. "Where's the Doctor? What've you done to him?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "What have _I_ done? I've done nothing of the sort. I assure you he is healthy and happy." He squinted his eye. "Okay, maybe _not_ happy, but that emotion never lasted with him. Just nicked his precious Type 40 TARDIS and took his wife along while leaving him at the end of the universe." His nose scrunched up. "So _sentimental_ of him. How could you—a worthless _human girl_—make a man like him fall to his knees in submission?"

She shook her head at him. "You could've been so much more than you are now. What happened to you?"

The Master tilted his head before reaching out and tugging hard at the ropes binding around her stomach, causing her to gasp. One of his hands grabbed her throat. "Don't change the subject," he hissed, coming nose-to-nose with her. "You know _nothing_ about me. One little stroll through another man's mind doesn't show you the full picture. You've no idea of the things I could easily do to you. I could snap your neck in the flash of a second and leave you damaged and for _dead_ if you're not careful. The only reason why you're alive right now is 'cause you're connected to the Doctor, and is now my little pawn in this game I'm playing. So don't try to get on my bad side or else you'll suffer to the point where you'll wish you'd never provoked me."

He let go of her and rolled his neck around. A smile crossed his face again.

"Now then," he said with a pleasant voice. "That's out of the way. Should've explained myself earlier and been more thorough with the regulations. Enough about me; tell me about _you._ He said you were the Bad Wolf. What does that mean _exactly?"_

Rose snorted. "I'd expect you to figure that out on your own, what with you being a _Time Lord._ That should imply that you have a brilliant mind. Well…not always the case especially with _you_ though, is it?"

He responded with a hard smack to her cheek with the back of his hand, pain shooting through her face and rattling her teeth. _"Who. Are. You?"_ he ground out.

She grinned. "Are you afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" Another hard slap, causing blood to form in her mouth. Spitting it out she let out a chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

She could hear the TARDIS humming cautiously in her mind. Taunting a man who could very well kill her in the blink of an eye was _definitely_ jeopardizing herself even more, but if it meant that she would get some information out of him as to what his true motives are, then she would press it as hard as she can.

"Afraid of a harmless _human girl?"_ the Master said derisively. "I've faced worse things than _you."_

"And so have I," she shot back. "I can say the same thing for _you. _But I'm not all that meets the eye. I may look like an ordinary human to you but—while there's no such thing as an ordinary human—I'm something _more."_

He glared at her. "Tell me what's so special about you. _Now."_

"Something so powerful you wouldn't believe it," she told him. "I absorbed the Time Vortex. The whole thing. I am the Bad Wolf. The name is scattered across time. I destroyed the Dalek empire with just a swipe of my hand, turned them all into dust."

The Master narrowed his eyes and snorted. "Impossible."

"Why? Didn't expect a lowly human ape to be able to contain such power? You look down on humans as if they're powerless when they've got more resilience than you might have. I'm not afraid of you. I've dealt with so many things over the years, seen so many frightening things. And you…you don't even come close to any of them. But you can say otherwise. You're afraid. Even if you won't admit it, you're _terrified."_

His hand raised up to grasp her jaw forcefully, the pain increasing as she held back on letting out a hiss.

"Never think that you know anything about me. You think you're just the ideal heroine, I bet. All holier-than-thou, like you're someone of such importance and relevance. You may have wielded some sort of sorcery on the Doctor to make him fall head over heels for you, to make him think solely with his cock instead of his actual _brain,_ to convince him to wanna do something as ludicrous as to bond with an _ape_ like yourself, but you have _no_ power here. You're barely a glint in my eye amounting to the dirt beneath my feet. Absolutely _nothing._ You're tiny, just an insect crawling on the ground waiting to be stepped on or burned by the sun. Just a fucking _tool_! Your species is inferior to me. You're nothing but an _assistant,_ part of a race so worthless it's almost too hysterical to even fathom how you've lived for so long, where all you're good at is staring at your toes and sucking on your thumbs. None of you would even exist in the _real_ world, and you'll never evolve to anything spectacular. Not even you…the _Bad Wolf._ It doesn't matter that you've become an advanced experiment out of sheer accident. I AM THE ONE IN CONTROL AROUND HERE!"

He released her face by shoving her hard against the coral strut, her head connecting with the structure and aggravating the already forming lump, the ropes around her tearing at her skin. Just like that the episode of mania ended as he regained his composure and put on the calm mask, concealing the ugliest side of him. Definitely worse than any person labelled with psychosis. The Doctor was known for his manic switches, but those were usually from broody to chipper, or vice versa. Not from calm to sadistic. It was a total difference, and one more unpleasant.

"So…" he began calmly. "What's he like? The Doctor? It's been a long time, and he looks quite different than the last time I saw him. We haven't had the chance to catch up properly."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, you're just busy takin' hostages, right?"

He licked his lips and brought up his hand again, this time stroking her hair. She inwardly cringed by his closeness. "That's a pretty strong word, Rose Tyler. That's your full name, isn't it? It's what I read on your little accessory. I'd assume that you had a brilliant mind considering you've accomplished something so impossible pertaining to customary norms from back home. How could you make the _Doctor—an alleged_ _legend _that could be called a _god_ amongst your people—drop down from the top and sink to the bottom with you?"

She shook her head in an attempt to brush his hand away from him. Being around him was enough to make her skin crawl, but having him touch her wanted to make her gag. "All you need to know is that he's a better man than you'll _ever_ be," she shot back.

He chuckled. "And I thought he was soft so many years ago. It seems he's gotten even worse. How long has it been? Recent, I imagine. It probably would've taken him so long since he's a coward to amount to anything."

She let out a mirthless laugh. "Better to be a coward than a killer. You have _no_ idea of what kind of man he is."

The Master's brows raised. "Ooh, is that so?"

"You may have known him way longer than I have, but I could guarantee that none of those years mattered when you two were close. I'll bet I know him better than you ever did. And he's all _man,_ all powerful in his own right."

He smiled in a condescending way that made her wish she was able to slap him…if her hands weren't bound over her head, that was. "So much confidence in your husband," he sneered. "How touching. No matter how perfect you find him to be, surely he's not a man without vices." He studied her. "With you being the most effective plus the TARDIS, there's others. What else does he hold dearly in his hearts?"

Rose pursed her lips. "Like I'd _actually_ tell _you."_

He smacked her again, splitting her lip. Her cheek was burning hot to the point where she was becoming numb. A wave of dizziness washed over her as she kept her head off to the side, pillowing it on her shoulder. The blood in her mouth was still present and undoubtedly stained her teeth, but she wasn't showing any weakness to this man. While her stomach was trembling with every waking moment she was left in this situation and she studied him warily, she wasn't making herself seem afraid on the outside.

"Your mother obviously did a poor job of teaching you _manners,"_ the Master scolded. She inwardly scoffed. Her mother taught her to stand up for herself. With one hand gripping the back of her neck and the other tugging tightly on the ropes around her midsection, he curled his lip up angrily. _"Talk,"_ he commanded.

"Well…as far as weaknesses go…I guess you could say that bananas would be the runner up. Seriously, you have no _idea_ how much of an addiction it is to him—even though he claims that it's just a simple strong admiration—he could be borderline overdosed with any around. I've just learned some time ago that he's also got this infatuation with a certain type of hot chocolate that is very rich in flavor. If you saw the look on his face when he drank it…" she trailed off, thinking of something else that was whimsical. There was also pears…but she didn't want to take it too seriously. "Oh, and one of his favorite movies is the _Muppet Movie._ He could actually sit down and watch that for _days_ on end. One time we actually _did._ Spent a whole entire week re-watching the same movie, and he sang along with it every time. And he has a mole between his shoulder blades that he's got quite an attachment to."

The Master stared at her, his eyes narrowing. Surprisingly she managed to keep her voice steady all the while her nerves overtaking her. The hand on her neck moved to pull at her hair, craning her a little as he moved his eyes over her face.

"You're gonna be so much fun," he told her. "Of course all of this is _already_ amusing, if even a bit unnecessary since we'll be spending quite a long time together, but still a joy. No matter. Not every question needs a straight answer right away. We'll save that one for another time. But a more important topic to mention involves you all the same. If I remember correctly, _you_ are connected to the TARDIS…which means you hold valuable information."

She scoffed. "If you think you'll get anything out of me—"

He shook her viciously, making the in the back of her head rub against the coral strut. "Shut your mouth! I told you once already:_ I_ am the one in control in this relationship, you little bitch, so you'd better get that through that thick goddamn skull of yours."

"Oh, yeah?" she challenged. "Like your head's any better? Yours is just full of twisted and frayed wires crossing in the wrong circuits."

"It's all good. It drives me to go the distance. To do whatever I please."

"What is you want? Why are you doing all of this?"

"Because I _can,"_ he answered simply. "It's all I want. I want _everything."_

She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Sure, just like the typical lunatic, right? To rule the world and let everyone perish. Not cliché at all."

That snark comment earned her dual slaps across both of her cheeks. The shocks caused her eyes to tear up and swell slightly. While she had more advanced healing abilities, she doubted any marks would vanish all the way completely if this became an occurrence until it ended. Which she hoped was soon.

"You think me a psychopath, but you never stopped to think about your_husband_ now, did you?" he told her. "You think so highly of him like he's a saint, like he hasn't done anything wrong in his life. Every single one of us are sinners, you just ignore it all."

She shook her head. "No. No, that's where you're wrong. Yes, he may not be perfect. Yes, he may have done some things over the years that he constantly beats himself over that he wished could be taken back. His regrets and insecurities eat away at him until he feel is like he can't take anymore. But all of those imperfections are outweighed by all of the good he's done. Time after time he's saved the universe in countless ways, has died and regenerated as a result because of most of them. I've seen him at his best, and seen him at his worst. And through it all, I love him as he is, and nothing would ever change that. No matter what he does is done out of the goodness of his hearts because he knows that it's right, that it's what keeps the worlds spinning. And if something seems too much, like he's about to break, he knows exactly who to turn to—me."

The Master ran his tongue over his upper row of teeth as he studied her. "All that sentimentality. It's no wonder you've imprinted yourself onto him. You accept his pity."

"He never wanted pity," she said firmly. "He's too modest. He needed someone to help him through the madness before he broke apart. And he's even stronger now and has a purpose. For that you'd never amount to his level." She studied him. "What happened between you and the Doctor, really? Both of you could've been an unstoppable force against all the bad in the universe. You were best friends, you grew up together. How could such a friendship be broken?"

He backed his face away from hers and looked at her with disgust. "Trying to pick and prod at my mind, I see. Don't you _dare_ try to psychoanalyze me. You know _nothing_ about me, regardless of what little snippets you saw in your precious Doctor's head. He may have submitted to you and let himself become so vulnerable like the spineless pushover he is, but you'll never comprehend _anything_ of my nature."

"He still cares about you," she told him. "Despite all of the grief you've put him through, he still manages to forgive you." He was silent. "What's it feel like having the continuous sound of drums echoing in your head?" she asked suddenly. "'S gotta be such a pain for you, huh? Being trapped inside of you own twisted thoughts. How's all that emptiness feel, Koschei?"

It appeared that he had stopped breathing as his eyes widened at the name she said. Of course that wasn't the man's actual name—that was something she hadn't known at all—but it was the one he chose when he was at the Academy with the Doctor, back when he was young and innocent, before the sickness in his mind grew and flipped his persona dramatically. But then again…he's had those pounding drums in his ears all his life, so his insanity was always there. Only later on in life it must have truly triggered.

"Don't you _dare_ ever say that name," he warned. "I am _the Master._ I chose that name for a reason—that one was _nothing. _One without meaning and picked during adolescence."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that," she said annoyed. "But you didn't answer my question. It's gotta be driving you even madder than you already are since that's the only sound buzzing in your ears."

Something in him shifted as he kept his grip on her, but shockingly eased up a little. "What happened to it?" he asked softly. "Gallifrey. You know about it, don't you? Where are the others?"

"Gone," she answered.

"How do you mean 'gone'? How could it be gone?"

"Exactly what it means, it's _gone._ Destroyed. Burned. It was the Time War. All of the other Time Lords died. No one else survived."

The Master shook his head. "The Doctor did," he pointed out.

"Because he was the one that had to perform the act," she said.

His eyes narrowed. "You're lying, he never would."

"Yes, he did, I saw it all. He took the Moment and used it. It was the only way to preserve the universe," she told him. "You ran away and turned yourself human right before any of it happened, and that's how you survived. You and him are the only two left in existence. No one else."

She honestly wasn't trying to show empathy to this maniac as he was downright evil, even though he was driven by insanity since a child. No way in _Hell_ would this become a case of Stockholm Syndrome. Definitely not. This man caused grief and trouble to the Doctor over the years, and for that she wouldn't forgive him for it. Not in the slightest. How the Doctor managed to deep down never made sense to her, but that who he was. He always forgave, at least to a certain extent. Surely after this he might not show any mercy.

"This doesn't have to be this way," she said, though she knew she wasn't really getting through to him. "This little feud of yours, it's just history. In the past. You don't have to-"

"Enough!" he suddenly shouted. "Stop it! Just…keep your mouth shut!" He released her and walked away with his back to her, his hands resting in the back of his head and threading his fingers together. He stayed that way for a moment before whirling around. "Seeings as you won't give me the answers I need, I suppose I'll have to retrieve them myself." He advanced on her again. "I didn't wanna have to resort to this but you've left me no choice."

He raised his hands and immediately placed them on either side of her face, causing her to gasp as he burst into her mind. His presence wasn't the cool and calming sensation like the Doctor's, it was pure ice; slamming into her hard enough to create a shock and send shivers down her spine, oddly leaving behind a burn. Snapping her eyes shut she did as she's been taught and put up her defenses quickly. Usually this was done as practice and it was with the Doctor. But it was the real thing now, and she needed to work fast.

Taking in a shaky breath she tried to settle her nerves as she placed her barriers down. Resorting to her usual choice of large steel doors locked up tight with binding chains. Just like the Doctor had warned her, there's plenty of telepathic species in the universe, and for them manipulation of the mind is like child's play. The Master would be no exception. If the Doctor, a man with so much experience, have trouble barging through her defenses then this other Time Lord should have the same result.

And he did.

Sensing him approaching one of the doors he froze and tried to force his way through but to no avail. He was denied any and all access. Swift as his movements were he left behind an icy burning feeling as he withdrew from each path, but it soon evaporated by her contrasting warmth. She could hear his noises of frustration as he tried another pathway only to be met with the same thing. She suppressed a mocking laugh. Apparently there was something the Master couldn't…well, _master._

In the back of her mind, Rose felt the small speck ignite somewhat as if it were triggered. It wasn't the true bond where she could communicate with her husband from afar, but it was something else, something safe. Then she felt the Doctor, almost as if he was still with her. Furrowing her brows she concentrated on the large golden door up ahead. It wasn't one that she had put up herself, though. He must have placed additional barriers so that if a situation where someone other than himself tried to invade her thoughts they'd be blocked patently.

She inwardly smiled. Even when he wasn't near he still looked out for her and kept her safe. He always praised her for her skills and constantly pressed that safety precautions were to be taken, and he hid an extra one where she didn't know was there. Her lovely guardian.

Pulling away with a growl the Master stared at her, and she couldn't help but grin. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said. "But you've been shut out." He shook his head and reached out for the ropes again, pulling even tighter to the point where she felt like a steel band encircled her lungs. He was breathing heavily, a nasty glare in his eyes. "Even now the Doctor's stopping you," she fought out. "You just wait. He's coming for you, and he'll stop you for good."

The hit that came next was the worst one yet as a painful blow connected with her jaw, causing spots to form behind her vision and her to whimper. A sick snickering escaped from him as he grabbed her hair to bring her back up to face him.

"Having so much faith in your husband. Such reverence. We'll see about that. Until then…" He lifted a hand and mapped out her features, and she twitched. "Keep your notions to yourself. We've got work to do, and you wouldn't wanna miss out on all the fun."

Shoving her hard again he danced around the console as they were coming to land. She could feel the incoming bruises and welts forming on her skin, marks she had a feeling would be an occurrence the longer she was here. The Master would continue to make her suffer to satisfy his own demented needs for however long it held take until the Doctor would stop him. Hope was all she had on her side right now. She knew the Doctor would be coming for her, just as he always did. Soon this would all be over in no time. However much pain she'll have to endure in the meantime…well, she wasn't looking forward to any of it. But knowing the Doctor was on his way was all the reassurance she needed.

"We're here," he said in a sing-song voice as he came back over to her and untied her, carefully watching her every movement. "Now, chin up. There's things needed to be in order, and we'll have to make a good first impression." Rose snorted and he glanced at her sharply, pulling tight on the ropes. "Listen to me you little bitch," he growled. "You keep up with your constant mockery and you will end up broken…far too damaged to even be brought back to the Doctor on a silver platter."

He grinned. "Oh…that's a sight worth seeing. To see both of his hearts shatter at the loss of his wife. Now, listen to your Master. You will be a good girl during the ascension of my power. If not," he lowered her arms but kept her wrists and ankles bound together to prevent her from escaping. "Well, let's just hope it doesn't come to any of that. You're a very smart girl with a very thick head. But you'll come to understand." Dragging her down the ramp, he came to a sudden stop. "Oh, I almost forgot." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blindfold. "I want everything to be a surprise for you."

Rose arched an eyebrow. "You can't be serious?"

"I think you'll find that I'm always serious when it comes to triumph."

He made a move to wrap it around her eyes, but she spit at him followed by raising her hands and smacking him in the jaw, all in an attempt to head back up the ramp to the console to access some kind of emergency protocol…but of course that wasn't the wisest idea considering both her ankles and wrists were bound. It didn't matter anyway since he used his Time Lord strength to grab her from behind. He spun her around and hit her so hard she felt herself collapse onto the jump seat, her vision going black.

Before she went out she heard the TARDIS in her mind again. _"We must stick together, my Wolf. For no one knows what exactly the Diseased One has planned, but no good will come of it. Our Thief will come."_

Then she was enveloped in the darkness again.

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**Sooo…please don't kill me for this chapter. *hides away***


	55. Incarceration

**A/N: Another trigger warning. ****Some more uncomfortable…stuff. But know that it's not as graphic as the previous chapter. ****Thank you to all of the lovely reviewers and followers for sticking around and reading this story! You guys light up my days.**

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_**Chapter 55: Incarceration**_

_Six months later_

"Oh, come on, Rose, be a good girl," the Master said in a pleasant tone as he moved the scalpel along her arm, painstakingly slow as it lightly grazed her skin not yet going underneath. The blank canvas waiting for him to make a work of art.

He was revelling the sight of her writhing on the table, bounded by the restraints with every little tap near the vein. Though her cries were somewhat silenced as they were muffled by the tape, just seeing her in this situation was enough to make it more exciting. The walling method, while enjoyable as it was, didn't quite give off the appropriate vibes. And it didn't inflict as much pain that he wanted. Anyone could take being pulled into the concrete walls and walk off unharmed. Too kind. How he resorted to _that_ as a good enough punishment for this incomprehensible woman was beyond him, and just off. This, however, was a better method. At least in a better environment than the TARDIS console room.

Repeating the motion of the scalpel he switched blades, replacing the small ballpoint one with a slightly thicker end. Not too big, but not too small to cause a justifiable scar. "I knew you'd take a liking to Lucy," he spoke. "After all she's young, beautiful, blonde…seems like you could come together in packs." He broke skin carefully, earning a squeal confined behind the tape keeping her silent. "Though I'm quite certain she _despises_ you. What with your constant snide remarks in regards to my morals, my ideas, and…let's face it, _me_ in general."

Tightly twisting in a small circle he wrote out a phrase in Gallifreyan that would most definitely be the perfect description of his pet at the moment. She might not know what it had meant, but she could make guesses. She _was_ smart after all, if not a little thick. Her convulsions increased as he proceeded lower down her inner forearm, down to her wrist where the straps kept her flat. Dark streaks of blood leaked out of the mark, giving a realistic effect on the word almost like emphasizing on the pale canvas that was her skin.

_Property of the Master._

Rose made a guttural sound and he smiled. He was in a decent mood today, so he reached over and ripped off the tape from her mouth, leaving her red and blotchy. "Are we gonna be a good girl, now?"

She responded by spitting at him. Sighing he wiped his face dry before backhanding her in the cheek. Apparently she was more rebellious today. What a resilient and feisty wolf she was. No matter, disciplining was his forte. Though six months of this should've gotten through to her by now. Guess he'll have to up the stakes.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_One year later_

"Ooh, happy day!"

The Master made his way down to the basement, a smile tugging at his lips. He needed someone to share his happiness of what the day signified. Lucy was asleep, which she did for far too long after every time he had sex with her, but that was a given. Humans and their constant need for sleep. So boring. But luckily he had another person to celebrate with.

The new prison cell he moved Rose into was probably the best one up to date, and much more spontaneous. His precious pet was seated on her chair and picking at her fingernails. Such a bad habit. He's yet to fix that, but to be fair she had worse ones he was still trying to make her overcome.

"Well, look who's peachy today," she commented.

"And look who's attempting to care," he replied. "But I like your efforts. It shows exactly how much you always try. And it's all for me," he raised a hand to wipe away an invisible tear. "I'm so touched. You know what today is? Happy anniversary, my dear. One year since we've created our relationship. My how the time just flies right by."

"Yeah, I'm doin' jumping jacks and somersaults over here."

He tilted his head at her and stepped through the barred entrance. "Is that really how you react? This is a wondrous moment, Rose." He placed a hand to her chin, bringing her bloodshot eyes to meet his own. Dropping his hand he brought both of his thumbs up to each corner of her mouth, pushing them upward. "Smile for this," he encouraged. "It's a memorable day."

She let out a sigh and nodded. "I'm having a blast. But can we have a little talk?"

"Anything for my pet," he responded. "What's on your mind?"

"What's this Archangel Network I keep hearing you talk about?"

He chuckled and stroked her hair. "If I told you that I'd have to kill you."

"Not the first time you've threatened me," Rose told him. "But really. What is it you're planning? Your secrets are safe with me."

His eyes narrowed. "Oh, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. The only one worthy of keeping my secrets is Lucy. Surely you're not trying to get between us now, are you? I wouldn't see you as the jealous type."

She snorted. "Jealous of _you?_ Not in any of the infinite parallel worlds."

He slapped her. "Don't degrade my morality."

_"Morals?_ What morals?"

Another slap. "We've all got them, even your precious Doctor. But his are poor when compared to mine. He's always been weak."

She shook her head. "No, he's not. He always has and always _will_ be stronger and braver than you."

The Master grinned. "Even after a year you still have faith in your husband. Give it up already, Rose. For once, he's not coming for you. Face that hard reality." He slapped her again and pulled at her hair. "If you can't figure that out on your own then I'll guess I'll have to press it onto you by force."

Then came the usual means of disciplining. Her short whispers wouldn't help her now. She was his pet to play with, to get his frustrations out on, just a liability without a purpose. And that's all she'll ever be. Whoever this Bad Wolf character was, it would be grounded. Chained up and kept in her cage. She may be able to heal rapidly, but she was weakening as long as the TARDIS was salvaged. And the almighty wolf would never reign again.

She will bow to her Master, along with the other pathetic mortals.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_Nearly eighteen months later_

If this was Hell, then it definitely wasn't somewhere worth living in. But it wasn't worth dying in either.

Rose lay in her bed with her head bowed and eyes closed, slightly puffed and red-rimmed as a result from the latest streaks of tears to stain her cheeks but also by how sleep deprived she was. If she had access to a mirror she'd be reluctant to know what she looked like. After all this time she probably wouldn't even recognize her reflection. She knew she was as pale as the moon since she hasn't stepped outside of her cells in so long. Her hair was longer as it came down to the middle of the back, undoubtedly losing her blonde tone and appearing darker, absent from being sun-kissed.

Her bed was more comfortable than the wooden chair, the table, and the rails she was stuck to in the beginning, but it still had nothing going for it as it felt like lying on a stone road. The cell she currently stayed in was more…social, if she was being honest. Of course it wasn't a five star hotel suite and she was a captive, but her previous confinements were lacking any resources and media.

Concealed behind plexiglass, the room was very two-by-four but was bigger than a cubicle, if ever possible. A small en suite was placed on the opposite side of the room complete with the usual sink, toilet, and stand up shower. A small television was located in the upper right corner of the room with a camera attached to the top. Surveillance systems. Even when locked up the Master feared her and was a step ahead to make sure she never made an escape attempt. Not like she'd have a place to go anyway. All she _would_ be able to do was run, but being chained up for so long she might be rusty to kick into old habits.

Hungry though she was, her stomach remained silent. Her food consumption has been limited over the entirety of this dilemma with the exception of bottled water and scraps of bread among other small portions. Whatever was given to her was placed on a food tray and placed in a slot. It reminded her of Hannibal Lecter's cell in _Silence of the Lambs_, but _she_ wasn't the one who was a psychopath in need of therapy. Though a psychiatrist would have a nice field day in her captor's head with all the twisted wires and loose screws laying around up there.

Her wrists and ankles were cuffed, connected to a long chain stuck into the corner of the wall. She was still mobile but it was difficult. Movements never were much of an expectation as she rarely got any sleep in this position, but even if she had the dank prison cell she was confined in wasn't really the type of domicile where peace was made. Nights were rough as her aching body would keep her awake her insomnia was kicked in almost all the time. If she hadn't needed as much rest as an average human she'd be worse for wear than how she already was.

Over a _year._

In fact she calculated it to be seventeen going on eighteen months since the Master returned and taken her along with the TARDIS hostage to work on his 'Master Plan' to do what every typical megalomaniac would thrive for: to rule the universe with an iron fist. Upon landing back in London the bastard continued doing what he's done since the moment he found her; abusing. The daily beatings that were becoming routine the second she made a snort over some ridiculous comment he made or just simply because he could.

Like he's always told her, he was the one in control. Her advanced healing abilities were proving to be somewhat effective in sealing a good deal of her wounds, but not all of them were easing. Various patterns of cuts were lacerated on the skin of her wrists and ankles from the pressuring binds and cuffs. A few months prior he'd whacked her wrists so hard with a splint that her radius and ulna bones of both became fractured. A few bruises were painted on her sides and a little on her back. She was certain two of her ribs were fractured and was close to having a concussion. Her jaw was swollen from all of the backhanded shots, a common preference for him, faded cicatrices covering her face.

When they first arrived at…wherever this place was…he would apply a blindfold across her eye to block out her vision and taped her mouth shut. Eventually he said that it was quite boring without hearing her comments so he rid away with those items. But it didn't limit him from trying a variation of methods resulting in serious pain. The walling was one of the first things he had done after keeping her locked on a flat table. He moved her to some secluded room and threw a rolled up hood over her head and wrapped a collar around her neck, pulling at it causing her shoulder blades to slam into the concrete wall. That hurt like hell, but her healing abilities aided her.

And he knew of her factor and tested it willingly with affliction as she was becoming slightly weaker the longer she remained distant from the TARDIS. If he wasn't using his laser screwdriver on specific settings that could burn at the skin or cause discoloration he'd resort to strapping her flat on a table, using probes ranging from different types of scalpels to other sharp objects to create small incisions. And it was all straight on without any numbing. Excruciating wasn't the appropriate word for the pain she felt. She'd cry out so loud she was sure that people outside would be able to hear her, but then again she wasn't really aware of their surroundings and where exactly this place was.

For all these months that passed she's probably only been released from her cell a handful of times, and that was only to change her location to an even worse environment as punishment for her behavior. It wasn't just some random point in time that the TARDIS landed on. Part of the Master's plot was that he would attempt to become Prime Minister, which was completely barmy seeing him—a crazed lunatic—putting on a guise as some politician. Those people of such authority may have power and make up facades and lousy laws and actions, but they were never demented Time Lords hungry for the greatest domination.

And the drums. The never-ending drums. _Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._ Coincidentally that was the heartsbeat of the Time Lord, and that's what pounded in his head.

Along with the usual beatings came the occasional mind intrusion. Ever since the first attempt to get inside of her mind to steal precious information in regards to the TARDIS he's taken it upon himself to wander through such territory. He even tried to plant in the continuous drumbeat in her mind, to make her see how real it actually was and not just some facade. Yeah, his insanity was no act, and she had no intentions of adapting to it herself.

Luckily though, he always came up short and pulled away empty handed—or in this case, headed…but would let out his frustrations by initiating more abuse on her. And all she could do was take it. What else was she to do? She never went down without a fight, as her mouth was still intact and used for profane phrases to shoot at him. Of course that would only earn her more painful hits, but knowing that she would get under his skin felt like an achievement for her.

Which was saying much since she wasn't gaining anything in this plight.

Grateful for one thing though, he never touched her in a way that would be even more traumatizing. But he had a _wife_ for that. Rose was nothing but a toy to throw around. Once he developed his own screwdriver—which was a laser and not even sonic—he tried to include and melt the bracelet dangling on her thin wrist, but it wouldn't budge. _Unbreakable. _Just the way she preferred things. Even now it was hard to imagine that the same man who mocked _her_ for marrying a Time Lord, he had done the same thing. Only the difference was that her marriage was out of love, his to the poor woman he found was all for manipulation.

Lucy was her name. She was young, probably not a whole lot older than Rose, and blonde—which she swore was all because he wanted to do certain primal actions to herself, but didn't wish to accept sloppy seconds or, in his words: 'already tarnish a populated flower.'

How she _despised_ his choice of words. It was like watching one of those disgusting television movies displaying the same topic, or even worse than hearing stories of hostage situations on the news. She wasn't sure about their exact room in this place, which she didn't even know where it even was, but it wasn't too far away from her cell. Possibly a floor above her. But that didn't help her any as she constantly heard the rackety yet still strong steel bars by the open slot of her cell rattle whenever those two actually had sex—which was quite frequently. And it was horrible having to hear such sounds…for nearly eighteen bloody months.

A living Hell. There were no other words for it. This was no way of living.

Lucy seemed sweet and kind, but she was sheltered by the Master's ego and control. Very rarely did Rose even hear a peep come out of her, and when she would open her mouth to speak she'd only shut it silently. She was a like timid animal, afraid of making a move or doing _anything._ He didn't truly love her. She was a pawn to boost up his image, an accessory to bring along. On more than one occasion she's made an attempt to bring the woman out of her shell to find someone to at least _talk_ to her, but was unsuccessful. There had to be a way to break through that woman and let her know that she shouldn't have to be manipulated and poisoned with his thoughts.

She supposed the only other soul she could communicate with on a whole other scale was the TARDIS, but the Old Girl has been in distress since arriving here. In fact, she felt sick and Rose was unable to talk to her. A gaping hole was left where the ship's presence would usually be, but it was weak and almost unnoticeable. Whether or not She was close by didn't appear to make a difference as there was little to no connection.

The Master never mentioned his intentions thoroughly, but she caught words of his actual plans. She caught him mentioning something about the Archangel Network many a times. When she questioned him out of curiosity of what that was he'd only brush it off and say it was all disclosed information. What she was aware of was that he was running for Prime Minister, and planned to take over after Harriet Jones' resigning, assuming the identity of one Harold Saxon. And it all took place after the downfall of Harriet Jones.

Back then the Doctor told her that the woman was destined to be elected as Prime Minister, actually winning by a landslide majority, for three successive terms and be the architect of a period known as Britain's 'Golden Age'. But when he regenerated and had to deal with the Sycorax, she gave orders to Torchwood to destroy their retreating ship, saying that there will come a time when the Doctor can't protect Earth and that she would do what she could to defend it. Of course the Doctor was furious at the whole act, calling it a genocidal murder, and then he told her that he could bring down her government with six words. To this day Rose didn't know what he exactly said, but they worked. And now the Master stuck his nose in the minute she was released.

And still there was no sign of the Doctor.

More than once she shamefully began to think he had abandoned her the way he had done to Jack, but she quickly shoved that aside. He'd never do such a thing to her, she was his wife now. Even before that he always came back to her - or vice versa when he sent her away to safety. He wouldn't just let her go off with the maniac that was once his best friend that was closer than a brother to him.

Their many anniversaries had passed by; their first encounter back when he was all ears and leather, when he regenerated into the man in pinstripes, the miraculous day of becoming a true couple on Noel, their consummation from 1969. The Master had gloated that he stood off to the side with a perception filter and watched from afar their interactions before he stepped in and integrated himself into the polls. The small speck was still lingering in the back of her mind, but no communication could be made. He was too far away. The TARDIS promised her that they'd have to stick together in this time until the Doctor came. Now the ship was in poor shape, and the Doctor still hasn't arrived.

But she still believed deep down.

Every day she woke up or that dawned she never gave up hope. He was coming for her, and she knew it. She could feel it. He would always come for her as she would to him. It was the promise they swore to each other, and they'll both be damned if it were broken by either one of them. It may have been a while for her, but her love for him and that moxie of his kept her going. Kept her fighting through the aching days that made her weep in agony, plead her way out of the abuse. Something to look forward to at the end.

Because he was all the inspiration she needed in the world of hers that became dark and cold.

Isolation could be irritating and distant up to a point where one would break at the drop of a hat, but what she's been dealing with was tipping the scales. She missed him like hell. How could she not? Having to see that smug, annoying face that was the Master's every day for eighteen months only made her want to slap him silly. No, even more than that. She wanted to punch the daylight out of him. But whenever she closed her eyes or even tried to get a few hours of sleep she would see the Doctor's face, imagining every detail from his fantastic hair to the crinkles that form in the corner of his eyes when he smiles to the deep dimples and smattering of freckles on his cheeks.

Her imagination wasn't doing much justice as she longed to come face to face with the actual source. So much time has passed since she's seen the day of light, or heard anything calming greeting her ears, or just flat out been…herself. Being secluded in a cell hasn't allowed her mind to lose any mentality, though. The last thing she needed was to go bonkers like her abductor.

Every day she would do mental exercises from trying to solve difficult mathematical equations she's read in some book onboard the TARDIS or seen written on paper in the Doctor's study, spoke riddles that she heard when she was a child, and even tried spelling and pronouncing impossibly long words and names—Raxacoricofallapatorious, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. She even attempted to try the pronunciation of the Doctor's true name. Ever since they've bonded she's always practiced how to say his true name, but struggled with the Gallifreyan drawl. Though he insisted it was unnecessary for her to learn how to _say_ it, she's wanted to try.

Glancing down at her left wrist she stared at her bracelet peeking out above the cuff, eyes moving across the Gallifreyan scripture engraved on it. For a while she's acquired books from the TARDIS library on the language, teaching herself the vowels and pronunciations and translations. Of course she had the Doctor to teach her, which he'd probably say was unnecessary but humbling, but she wanted to surprise him with terms of endearment spoken to him in his home's language. If she was able to give him a telepathic marital bond, something so precious and committing, she would also astound him with her learning of a new language. An alien one, at that.

As much as she hated when her mind drifted off into such contrite thoughts, sometimes she believed the Doctor wasn't coming. The loneliness and misery she's been wallowing in was eating away at her…but she fought it as best as she could with all of the willpower she had left.

The sound of footsteps coming down the hall got her attention, but kept her head down. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Oh, such a gloooorious day!" the Master exclaimed happily as he danced his way into the room in his usual politician's suit and manic enthusiasm. "Definitely one to be put in the books."

"Someone's awfully cheery," Rose commented.

"And for good reason!" He came up to her cell and studied her through the glass. "Come now, Rose, turn that frown upside down."

"I would if I didn't have a gaping cut splitting my lip," she muttered sarcastically as she moved to sit upright and raised her head, meeting his condescending grin.

"Who's fault was that?" he admonished, arching a brow at her as he unlocked the entrance and stepped inside, tilting his head. "Honestly, stubbornness is your one vice. I was sure you'd have tamed it by now, but evidently there's still some misunderstandings you've yet to comprehend."

"Nothing like takin' lessons from a nutjob," she commented.

"I'm so flattered. You're trying to be nice to me for once," he said. "Obviously forms of punishment are doing wonders for you after all." He placed a hand on his chest. "I feel so accomplished."

She snorted. "Yeah, you deserve a medal. Congrats."

He preened. "Thank you, that means a lot. But I'll be receiving more than just a medal. The polls are in and they went up even more! By sixty-four percent! You know what that means? London town will now be watched under my authoritative eye. I've won!" He walked over to her and cupped her cheek. "Isn't that fantastic?"

Rose curled her lip up in disgust. "Oh, yeah, I'm tickled pink. Another lousy politician runnin' and spreading lies and falsity. "

Then he slapped her again across her already numb cheek. At this point she couldn't feel the strike as clear, but it sent waves of lightheadedness and made her dizzy.

"Now, is that really how you should be addressing your Master? Your new _Prime Minister?"_ he growled. "I'm fairly amused at the moment, but that doesn't dismiss you from further disciplining. You know very well I won't hesitate—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she said rolling her eyes. "And you always say that one day you lose your control completely and could kill me at the very first chance you get."

He smiled. "That's a good girl. I was about to inflict more punishment for interrupting me as I spoke…but you've made me restrain myself. 'Course you're still thick, but there's no solution for that, unfortunately. Still, there's hope for you yet."

She glared at him. "You really believe you're gonna win, don't ya?"

"Of course I did," he cheered. "The election's already a given now. Everything's falling into place."

"No…I meant that you _really_ think that you'll get away with it _all._ You know you'll never make those people bow down to you like you're their god."

His eyes narrowed. "And you actually have that notion that your precious _Doctor_ is still coming to save you," he sneered. "Face the reality, Rose. Wake up and smell the flowers." He laughed. "Or should I say…smell the _roses?"_

And she thought some of the Doctor's puns were bad. "Hilarious," she commented sarcastically.

"Stop living in your little fantasies. Your husband is long gone, and not coming. You'd think you would've understood that after a year and a half." He scoffed. "But even if he miraculously finds a way, he won't even get far. He won't stop me, not this time." He eyed her restraints on her wrists and pulled out his laser screwdriver, tapping the end on the metal. "Are you gonna try to hit me if I unlock these?"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "What d'you think?"

He smiled and tucked away his screwdriver. "Then I'll just leave them on for you. But I don't want you to miss the coverage and then my conference tomorrow." He moved over to the television and turned it on, broadcasting the _Teletubbies._ "Eh, this is a re-run, but I'll watch that later on." He changed the channel to the news station. "Here we go." He turned back to her. "Be ready for my appearance once it comes on. It's a moment that we shall witness that will last forever."

"Definitely one we'll never forget," she said with bitterness.

Sauntering over he slowly ran a hand through her matted hair and gave a harsh tug. "No, you won't. You'll remember this day as the next chapter of my triumph," he pulled harder, earning a painful grunt from her, "and you will appreciate what I've achieved. Something any lowly human ape could waltz into only ending in failure. But not for me. The future's open wide. The game is being played, and it's my next move."

In a flash his mood shifted as he shoved her back. "Now then. Enough downgrading. Time for…" He ran out of her cell and shut the door, spinning around in a circle before grabbing a remote off to the side. "A celebration!"

Flipping a switch he turned on the stereo system installed in the walls. _"I'm So Excited"_ began to play loudly through the speakers, and he danced happily to the tune and reveling in his joy. Rose watched in disgust at the man frolicking around the room. His happiness would come to an end shortly, she could feel it. He may have taken power as the Prime Minister, but his reign will be short-lived.

Miracles come when one believes hard enough, and she always did every day that passed by. And she would continue to do so until the Doctor came.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Master lay in his bed with a wide smile on his face and his other human pet—well, his _wife_ who never refused to have sex with him when he initiated it, but was there really a difference? He didn't believe so.

This must be what the Doctor's life was like. Just living in simple lucidity and feeling like a god amongst these humans, engaging in coital copulation whenever he felt like it. Not a bad life at all. How he actually submitted to some little blonde and allowed her access to something so vast and deep to bond with her was still beyond him. Special or not, humans were a disposable inferior species that claimed to be brilliant geniuses when the reality was that they were liabilities. Just small insignificant flies waiting to die.

Everything was falling into place. The election was won, and then he could begin with the next phase of his 'Master Plan.' He inwardly chuckled at that. With use of the Archangel Network the whole entire world will soon be reborn and thrive.

That blonde held captive was proving to be more of a pest than when he first left the end of the universe with him. He was running out of new means of disciplining to enforce on Rose, and _that_ was saying something when it came to him. Her resilience was very courageous if not amusing to see her continuously writh in agony at the pain he was causing her. Humans. Even _advanced_ ones were just as weak. She wouldn't last for much longer. The harder she pushes herself the quicker she'll fall hard. Sometimes he actually contemplated dumping her off to the side to rot whilst he constructed his plan. But where was the true fun in that?

Yes, he was the happiest he's been in a long time, including for the incredibly long duration of being human. Just the thought of having to resort to that again made him sick to his stomach. He'd definitely never want to return to _that._

He'd rather die permanently without regenerating than have to change into a human, or some other ludicrous situation.

While he was reveling in the succession he's accomplished, a straying thought returned to him, one that had come to him on more than one occasion over the last eighteen months—when the Doctor had told him that it didn't have to be this way, and that it was just the two of them with no one else. Just the thought of Gallifrey gone was enough to make him scoff. All those years of pompous actions and look at where they are. And look at _him_ now, practically a god-to-be for those lowly apes to bow down to. It was such a thrilling experience that he's always loved the idea of.

The Doctor was another story, but he wasn't anything to be concerned about. He may have been sticking his nose in things that didn't apply to him over the years and finding ways to be a burden to the many plans remaining in the Master's head, but not this time. No, for once he will be grounded. Though there was still a small tug in the back of his head telling him that he'd find some way to swoop right in and foil everything as usual. But that notion was soon brushed aside.

_Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._

The drums were coming, and no one will ever be able to stop them. Not even the Doctor or this Bad Wolf.

* * *

**Response to _sarcasticturtle:_ Thanks again! Yeah, I'm staying in my corner until the end just to be safe.**

**Response to _jellybean boom:_ Don't hurt me, I'm fragile! And yes, the Oncoming Storm is on his way.**


	56. The Sound of Drums Part 1

**A/N: ****Many thanks to you awesome reviewers and followers! ****Also, to give credit when credit's due, there's a word in here taken from the _Gallifreyan Dictionary_ created by _reddwarfaddict._ The link to it is on her profile, so check it out! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 56: The Sound of Drums Part 1**_

_Meanwhile at the end of the universe_

The further away the TARDIS was drifting with Rose inside the more distant apart their bond was becoming. What used to be a vast aura of tranquility dispersed and became nothing but a small speckle of golden light lingering in the corner of his mind. What was once a mind filled with her essence became a gaping hole of emptiness.

He's always longed to feel her in his mind, to have access and be the guard dog to her thoughts—not that she wasn't capable of protecting her own conscience, because she already proved to be incredible with her sensory awareness. But this was what he's been warning her about, training and preparing her for when a situation like this were to come their way. And it _did._ Just like always. When things were going good, they became great, and then the universe would throw in a blockage and put a damper on their happiness. One time the universe decided to be kind and give both he and Rose the greatest gift they could ever want…and yet the black cloud was still hanging over him.

Much to the Doctor's dismay he had to resort to a method he wished he'd ever have to use. But he had no other options. The Master has returned, and he had Rose. His _wife._ Knowing that sadistic mind of his he would do any and everything to make her suffer—just to make him suffer. And the Master would enjoy every passing second of it and thrive on it. The thought of him laying the smallest finger on her was enough to make him boil impossibly more. Why did it have to be the Master? The possibility of a Time Lord still in existence, where someone else could have survived from the War, and it was him.

For that scrambled mess of a man and mind death would be a favorite form of punishment, but he always preferred to let others suffer. It was how he would show kindness—slow suffering. And unfortunately he had Rose all to himself for a short while. If Rose was alive, she definitely wouldn't be in the best shape. His hearts clenched and almost stopped at the thought of what's happened to her in her time away.

"Doctor, help us!"

Whipping around from where he stood the Doctor saw both Jack and Martha still struggling to keep the laboratory door shut as the Futurekind were easing their way inside. They needed an escape and he found it, as much as he disapproved of it.

Rushing over to them he reached into his jacket and pulled out the sonic, grabbing Jack's wrist as he ran it over the device. As he worked frantically, the captain was writhing as he fought with all of his strength to keep the door shut.

"What're you doing?" Jack asked.

"Hold still!" The Doctor shouted over the mayhem as he kept a firm grip on the man's wrist. "Don't move! Hold it still!"

"I'm telling you, it's _broken_! It hasn't worked for years."

"That's because you didn't have me," he responded. "Martha! Grab hold, now!"

Not even giving her a chance to herself, he reached for her hand and placed it on the vortex manipulator. Activating it, a bright white light surrounded them as they vanished into thin air.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Adjusting his tie and readying himself for the upcoming conference the Master stood with Lucy, who was dressed elegantly. "You look ravishing," he growled as he gave her a kiss.

"Anything for you, Harry," she said with a smile.

"Definetly. Let's see that our little friend is ready for the event."

Walking down to the basement where Rose was, he found her laying on her bed appearing to be asleep. Humans. Always wasting time sleeping. So boring. He brought one of his hands up to tap the constant beating in his head loudly on the plexiglass of the cell.

_Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._

"Rise and shine, little wolf," he called out.

She shifted around to face him, her hair falling over her face. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being woken up after finally getting some sleep?" she grumbled.

He chuckled. "Now that's not the greeting I was expecting, but then again you're quite the morning person, aren't you?"

"Cheery," she commented. "S'pose I could guess why you're here, and I don't have much of a choice but to watch you address the country."

"Why yes. See? Using the brain can be quite the experience." He released Lucy's arm from his and reached into his suit jacket to pull out his laser screwdriver, unlocking the door. Entering he moved to her bed and ran his device over her wrists.

"What happened, did you wake up on the right side of your bed today?" Rose asked with a snort.

"Indeed I did," he preened. "Just like any morning when a good wake up copulation is awarded."

She rolled her eyes. "Lovely. As if I never hear you two goin' at it every time."

He moved onto her opposite hand. "Good, then you'll hear exactly how much of a man I truly am," he said with a sneer.

"From what I've heard, I'd say you're pretty impotent," she commented.

Freezing his actions with his laser screwdriver and moved it up to where her sleeve was rolled up. Changing the setting he ran it over her skin thoroughly, burning her. Her painful cries were music to his ears, coinciding with the drums. Stopping after a moment her pale complexion altered and discolored as a cluster of busted crimson blisters appeared, trickles of blood sliding down to her hand. Of course she would heal within a day or two considering she was 'gifted', but the pain was worth his pleasure.

She began to whimper and he raised his opposite hand to lightly pat her cheek. "Now that we've dealt with that derogatory remark, I'll be exceedingly generous and allow you to be more mobile today." He changed the setting of his screwdriver back to unlocking the cuffs of her wrists then proceeding to her ankles. "Besides, you'll most likely wanna frolic around with joy in regards to my victory. One step closer to my ascension."

"Wonderful," Rose said with a steady voice, tending to her wound by wrapping her sleeve around her wound to stop the bleeding.

"Enjoy the broadcast," he said happily as he stood up and immediately shut the door behind him. Lucy was staring blankly at Rose.

"How could you stand him?" Rose asked. "Don't you even see what he's doing to you?"

Lucy turned to her, trying to mask her fear behind an impressive expression but Rose could easily see right through her. "You are in no position to judge my husband," she said.

Rose snorted. _"Husband,"_ she repeated with snarkiness. "He doesn't love you, Lucy. He's only using you as an accessory for his own image. That's not what a marriage should be, especially with someone like _him."_

"That's not true," Lucy said firmly. "Harry is just a man driven by purpose, to make the world a better place."

"Oh, my God, his name isn't even _Harold Saxon!_ He's only using it as his _alias._ He's the Master, and he's downright psychotic. Haven't you noticed exactly how much of a megalomaniac he is? All he cares about is control, and not just with the world, but with me…and with you. Especially _you. _I know you're afraid, believe me I know. You're scared of sticking up for yourself 'cause you know what he could do to you the moment you do. You know how strong he is, and how much force and anger can be unleashed. But you can't just sit there and take it without saying so much as a single response. Just because he claims to be the all-powerful man in charge doesn't mean that you yourself are anything beneath him. Because you're _not_ weak. Realizing that you don't have to sit there and do nothing is overcoming your fears. And you do whatever you can to get out of it before it gets worse."

"Lucy, dear, don't listen to the lowly woman," the Master said, snapping his fingers. "Come, we've got a conference to go to."

And that's when Rose felt a flickering spark in the back of her mind. Her heart skipped a beat for a split second and her stomach swooped. The Doctor was here.

"He's coming," Rose called out to him. "You're in for it, now."

He smiled at her. "Nice try," he said before skipping out of the room.

Lucy stayed behind and stared at her for a moment before turning away without saying a word, leaving the room. Rose shook her head and sighed. The poor woman was brainwashed by that sick bastard. While she herself was taking the abuse, she still showed strength and stood up to him. Through all of the whimpering and against she's been in all this time, she wasn't losing hope.

Now hope had come at the right time.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Dammit. She was right. He should've known this would happen. In fact he was _expecting_ it, but even still it was utterly annoying.

The Master rolled his eyes when he finally was able to feel the Doctor's presence in his mind. Apparently he found a way back from the end of the universe and landed unceremoniously in London. He was always a buzzkill when it came to spoiling the fun. Although he _was_ also a significant part of the fun. Yet another reason why he and Rose were easily glued together; they were both stubborn, little troublemakers. A match made in heaven, if there even is one.

Surely his blonde ape of a wife was able to feel his return as well. How touching. Star-crossed lovers looking to reunite with each other. He'll bet that they're about to start conversing through their bond the second it ignited in their minds. No matter. She was weakening more and more as each day went by, even when she denied it. Regardless of what they would even talk about he wouldn't learn too much too soon. Rose knew little of his plans with the Archangel Network and the creatures coming to populate the Earth.

And even if she did there would be nothing she or her precious husband could do to put a stop to it.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Oh, my head," Martha said with a groan as she picked herself up. The three travellers ended up landing in some alleyway in the present day.

"Time travel without a capsule," the Doctor said with a grimace, standing to his feet and rolling his neck. "That's a killer." How he despised that form of transportation.

"Still, at least we made it," Jack said. "Earth, 21st century by the looks of it. Ha, ha, talk about lucky."

Not even willing to joke around the Doctor felt the fury boiling up again. "C'mon, we've got to—"

Suddenly he felt something. In the back of his mind, the small speck was triggered slightly. His eyes widened and his breath hitched. Rose was alive, but that didn't mean she wasn't injured. She was still far away, but closer than their previous distance. And it was weak. Still, they were here like he thought. Spinning around in a circle he scanned the area, his head held high.

"Doctor?" Martha asked. "What is it?"

"Shh," he quickly hushed with a raised hand. Eyes moving wildly he tried to find the wave he's been missing.

"Telepathy?" Jack said. "You're able to talk to her, how is she?"

He hushed the captain while immersing in the connection. "Shh, shh, shh!" Closing his eyes he brought his fingers to his temples and paced down the alley, trying to connect with Rose through their link.

"Man, I wish I could do that," Jack commented with a smirk.

Concentrating on the wave was difficult as the signal was barely like a blip, weak and thin. He wasn't able to figure out her exact location, but he could feel a small trace of her presence and he could almost whoop for joy as a portion of his capacity was filled with her once again. Not as much as he wanted, though. There was still a hole along with the space where the TARDIS was. She felt weak, too. That was expected since the two girls were one with each other. Where was She and what had he done to Her? Her presence was…off. Like she was further away somehow. Of course he didn't know what kind of state Rose was in either, and knowing the Master like he did, he would've abused her in more ways than one. Even more so because she was connected to him, making her a target.

But the worst case scenario hasn't transpired, so for that he was grateful.

_"Rose? Rose, are you there?"_ he said frantically.

After a beat, she responded. _"Doctor? I'm here, I'm here."_

His hearts found their upbeat rhythm while at the same time pained at the sound of her voice. She was in pain. For him she's only been gone for about five minutes, whereas for her it's been eighteen _months._ He mentally kicked himself for having to resort to that tactic, but it was his only option.

_"How are you? Are you okay?"_ he asked immediately, fearing her answer.

_"'M fine,"_ she assured quickly.

That was a lie. Eighteen months of abduction wouldn't guarantee her to be left with the barest scratch. She was being modest and keeping him from knowing the truth and exactly how much pain she was in. Rose being Rose.

_"Rose, please don't lie to me,"_ he said. _"What has the Master done to you? Has he…" _He swallowed hard, not wanting to know the answer to his question. And if it were true, his top was sure to blow. _"Has he…**touched **you?"_

_"Not in the way you're thinking of," _she said immediately_. "He's already got someone for **that.** I'm just…his pet."_

Bile rose up in his throat._ "Then in **what** way?"_

She hesitated for a moment, but he could easily feel her despair. _"It doesn't matter. Just knowing you're here is all that does. I've missed you."_

He actually felt the color on his face drain. She was in bad shape. Definitely worse for wear and it sickened him. At least their connection was intact once again, as scarce as it was.

_"Quite right, too," _he said shakily. "_What's going on? Where are you right now? Are you in the TARDIS?"_

_"No, I'm in some bloody cell,"_ she replied dryly. _"At first he kept me in the TARDIS, but that wasn't good enough for him. Something's wrong with Her, Doctor, she feels…off."_

The Doctor fumed at the mention of her being in a cell. A _cell._ Of course the Master would keep her as a prisoner, like a _pet. "I_ _feel it, too…barely. Our connection seems scarce."_

_"Figured that. I dunno exactly where I'm at now, he's changed locations so many times. It's some kind of building or…something else."_

_"Just hang in there, love,"_ he said softly, though his nerves were shaking uncontrollably. _"I know it's been a while for you, but I live and die by my promise to save you and am not abandoning you. I **never** would. I'll find you."_

_"I know you will,"_ she said firmly.

He felt her lock herself up again and he almost cursed—not because he needed answers, but because of her condition. She was injured, he could sense it. She was masking it from him to see, but he knew it. This was the Master they were dealing with. Rassilon knows what sick and twisted things he's done to her over the course of eighteen months. His blood boiled more at the thought of him laying a finger on her and abusing her in many a ways. How Rose managed to reply in such a calm voice baffled him. She was strong. She was fighting every day. For that he was proud albeit concerned for her well being.

"Well?" Martha said from behind, bringing him back to the present. "How is she?"

The Doctor walked over to them and sucked in a breath. "She says she's fine," he answered before adding, "But she's lying. He's hurt her, I can sense it. Knowing him like I do, that was the most kind thing he could do to her. He's capable of doing worse," he ground out through gritted teeth.

"Then why wouldn't she tell you the truth?"

"Because she's Rose. She could be standing barefoot in a river of lava eating the worst chips ever created in the universe while a clan of poisonous tarantulas crawled underneath her clothes and she'd say she was alright." He let out a deep breath and shook his head. He really did rub off on her. "It could be worse than I would've imagined."

"But she's strong, Doctor," Jack told him. "We'll get her back soon."

"Not soon enough," the Doctor muttered.

"But this Master bloke," Martha said. "He's got the TARDIS. He could've gone anywhere in time and space. Why choose present day London?"

"He couldn't go just _anywhere._ I made it that way. When he was stealing the TARDIS the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates, locking them permanently. He could only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed—which is right here, right now."

Jack studied him. "Yeah, but a little leeway?"

He sucked in a breath. "Well…the most he could have been here is eighteen months. Rose has been trapped with him for that long."

It only angered him the more he thought about it. Being stuck with a psychopath for that much time was enough to drive himself mad. More so knowing that his wife was there against her will.

"Doc, just relax," Jack said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"_Relax_? How the hell am I supposed to _relax?"_ the Doctor snapped backing away from him.

"Rose is alive!" the captain hollered. "That should be a little reassuring, shouldn't it? She's alive, and you're able to communicate with each other."

He shook his head. "You don't know him or what he's capable of doing. There's so many things he could've done to her in that time. He enjoys inflicting pain as slowly as possible in so many ways just to revel in it. And as far as communicating, we have to be cautious with it."

"How come?"

"For one thing the TARDIS is far away and weakened somehow, making our own connection a little wonky considering Rose and the Old Girl are connected. And for another if I were to be able to find out exactly where she was, the Master would only kill her faster. Right before I was there to save her, because that's what he _does._ He could _kill_ her just because she's associated with _me_! My wife has been held in captivity for a year and a half by a raving _lunatic,_ one I've known all my life, so I know what kind of sick and twisted gears are turning in his head."

"Which is all the more reason why we have to go right _now," _Jack stressed. "Us arguing isn't solving anything. We're gonna get her back, Doc, I promise."

"But who is he?" Martha spoke up, breaking the row. "He's a Time Lord, too, but who exactly? 'Cause that voice at the end, that wasn't the professor."

"He must have regenerated," Jack told her.

"Then how are we gonna find him?"

"I'll know him the moment I see him," the Doctor said hard. "Time Lords always do."

"But if he can be anyone, we missed the election," Martha said when she caught sight of a banner. "It can't be."

In the distance the Doctor caught sight of a homeless man tapping a beat on his tin cup. Four times. It seemed…familiar. Turning around he walked up to a television on display in the front window of a shop, broadcasting the news. "And I think I've found him," he said.

A man looking to be in his thirties walked down a flight of stairs with a blonde woman and officers behind him, smiling and waving at the camera. _**"Mr. Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters,"** _the newscaster reported.

"I said I knew that voice," Martha said as they watched. "When he spoke inside the TARDIS, I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"He's Prime Minister," the Doctor said. "The Master is _Prime Minister_ of Great Britain." His eyes widened when he saw him turn to the blonde woman and kiss her. "The Master and his _wife."_

So that's what Rose meant when she said he already had someone for…intimacy. But a wife? _Him?_ That was…different. Well, maybe not entirely, as he was probably copying his own personal affairs—and _that_ was very him.

_**"This country has been sick,"** _Saxon said. "_**This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that, what this country really needs, right now…is a doctor."**_

The Doctor shook his head in disgust before turning away from the television. "We need to get out of here. Martha, your flat's not too far away, isn't it?"

She nodded and pointed in the direction. "Yeah, just a short walk this way."

"Right then, let's go," The Doctor said as he began to walk.

"And what exactly are we gonna do there?" Jack asked curiously. "We know where he's at right now, why not go right over there?"

"Can't right now," the Doctor told him.

"Wait a minute." Jack fell into step with him and stopped him with a hand to his shoulder, a look of disbelief on his face. "He's got Rose, your _wife._He's had her for a year and a half, and you're just leaving her there_longer?"_

"I have to," he responded.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Jack said narrowing his eyes. "How could you let her stay there?"

"I've already told you, Jack, he's dangerous—"

"And isn't that why we need to get her out of wherever she's at as soon as possible?" The captain reasoned with seriousness. "I'd assume that was the protocol here."

The Doctor whipped around. "I'm not putting her in any more risk than she already is! Like I said, the moment we make our way over he'll kill her the very first chance he's got before we even get there. And right now we have no other options or even a plan as to what to do with no TARDIS around. We have to get out of these streets now, and regroup with a plan."

They both stared hard at each other for a long moment. He hadn't meant to explode, but his nerves were getting to him. Truthfully he wanted to barge his way in there without a rational thought and get Rose out if there immediately. But they couldn't yet. They need to figure out his intentions and what else he's been doing in his stay on Earth.

Scrubbing a hand down his face, the Doctor sighed. "I'll get her back, Jack," he said with a calmer voice. "I swore that I'd always come for her, and now is no exception. Not in the least. Dicey as this situation is we have to be extremely cautious and careful. Just…trust me."

"I do," Jack said with a nod. "I know we'll find her, Doc."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Stepping out of the loo Rose ran her hands through her damp hair after washing up. Despite keeping up with her personal hygiene she never felt truly clean. But then again look at where she's at. Her skin was still raw and scabbing, but it was healing slowly. To be safe she tied a ripped piece of cloth around it. Bloody controlling bastard.

The Master was so lucky that he kept her restrained, otherwise she'd have unleashed all hell on him by now. He may be stronger than her, but she wasn't an ordinary human. She had advanced genetics, and she'd fight him until she had no energy left. Surprisingly he was being somewhat kind—save the usual bouts of harm—and allowed her limbs to be freed from their cuffs this morning, claiming that he was just in the most joyous mood he's been in for so long and wanted her to move around her cell in celebratory frolic because of his victory at winning the polls. Yeah, she was doing the jig at this very moment.

Well in the metaphorical sense she was, and it most certainly was _not _because of the Master.

Just like she thought, like she believed after all this time even during the periods of despair and hopelessness, her husband returned. The Doctor was back, just like he promised, just like always. And she couldn't be any more grateful. The moment she felt his essence fill up the emptiness in her head she could've cried out happily…had she not been constantly watched on the surveillance camera. Then again, all of those cronies including the Master needed to know the Oncoming Storm was on his way, and nothing would be safe in his path.

The Master appeared on the screen of the television and she felt bile rise up in her throat. Just having to look at that condescending grin every day for the last eighteen months made her sick to her stomach, almost to the point where she wanted to kill him. Okay that may have been a bit extreme considering she could never bring herself to _kill_ someone manually. But given her living arrangements as of lately what else was she to think? She'd be satisfied knowing he would suffer with some kind of pain sooner or later. Now the Doctor can do everything in his power to stop him.

She feared exactly what he'd do the second he made contact with the Master. Feeling the combination of fear and rage radiating off of him through their bond was enough to cause a chill to shoot down her spine. Whatever he was planning to do hopefully he wouldn't lose himself completely. While she can reason with what intentions he may have, the last thing she wanted was for the Doctor to reenter the deep and dark gallows, releasing every demon he's tamed. An angry Doctor was never a pleasant sight to come across.

It was solely the reason why she didn't mention exactly what the Master had done to her, though she admitted that he hadn't touched her intimately, and she felt a slight wave of relief hit him. Of course he was still enraged about her being captured by the last person in the universe he'd ever want to see again. Soon enough he'd find out about her countless injuries, but for right now he had to focus on the more important task—to stop the Master at all costs.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

After about fifteen minutes later the trio finally arrived at Martha's flat. "Home," she announced when they entered her room.

The Doctor glanced around. "What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything?" He caught Jack using his mobile and glared at him. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here!"

"Just some friends of mine," Jack told him casually.

"Oh, of course, it's a friendly gathering," the Doctor said thick with sarcasm as he slipped on his specs. "That's not a problem at all. Maybe I should call my old friend Churchill, I'll bet he'll love to catch up in a time like _this."_

Martha turned and raised her brows at him. _"Winston_ Churchill?"

He waved her off. "Yeah, just sort of…bumped into him once or twice before."

"Calm down," Jack told him. "I'm just seeing where they're at." He frowned at his phone before pocketing it. "But there's no reply…"

Martha picked up her laptop and handed it over to the Doctor. "Here you go. Any good?"

Jack grabbed the laptop before the Doctor could and set it down on the desk. "I can show you the Saxon websites. He's been around for ages."

"That's so weird though," Martha said. "It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you and Rose."

The Doctor raised his head as realization dawned on him. "We went flying all around the universe while he was here the whole time. Wait a minute…" Something else hit him and his insides shook—the date.

_"Boy, talk about an egotist,"_ he heard Rose say through their link.

He needed to know for sure. _"Rose, he's been climbing the ranks to become the Prime Minister, yes?"_

_"Yeah, he started immediately after we arrived."_ She paused for a second._"Right after Harriet Jones resigned."_

That did it. Back on Christmas Day when the Syxorax invaded the Earth, the day he brought down her reign of power with six words: 'Don't you think she looks tired?' The actuality was that Harriet Jones was supposed to be Prime Minister for three successful terms. But on that very day the destruction by the Sycorax was averted she instructed Torchwood to destroy their ship as they were leaving, causing him to be angry and disgusted by her actions. That's when he took her down, creating speculation that her health was ill and unsuitable for her to hold the title. And that's when the Master came in the picture, sneaking right in when she was released.

This whole thing happened because of _him._ Rose was now the Master's captive, and it was all by his own doing.

_"Don't you dare,"_ Rose scolded. _"Stop thinking that way, Doctor. You're **not** responsible for this."_

_"How can't I be? I…"_ he closed his eyes and rubbed his eyes underneath his specs. _"I'm the reason why you're imprisoned. The reason why you've been suffering."_

_"Shut up," _she said firmly._ "I may not be there to smack some sense into you, but just know that everything that's happened wasn't supposed to. That doesn't make it your fault. The Master's just a bloody wanker that loves getting involved in things, you know that."_

_"Yeah, but that still doesn't change_—_"_

_"Doctor, don't worry about me,"_ she told him in a softer tone. _"The common denominator in all of this is him. Focus on stopping **him."**_

He inhaled a shaky breath._ "What did he say to you?"_

_"I already told you,"_ she replied.

_"No…about **me**,"_ he clarified._ "He's tried to get inside your mind, telling you lies and trying to deceive you, hasn't he?"_

She paused._ "A little…"_

His hearts clenched in his chest before dropping_. "You didn't think I would come back," _he concluded sadly.

_"Don't,"_ she warned_._

_"Why would you think like that? I **always** come for you, Rose. How could you think-"_

**_"Stop,"_** she cut him off with seriousness. _"You think I **wanted** to? I **hate **having to think of things like that, you know that. But it never lasted. Every morning, afternoon, and night he'd come into my cells he would constantly test my faith in you. And he would get angry_—_annoyed. __I trust you with my entire life, and knew deep down that you were on your way, no matter how long it would take. Because I believe in you. And I love you."_

The Doctor closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. On more than one occasion his wife became hopeless, and it was because of that hypnotic bastard. He hated when she lost faith since she was everything he himself believed in but despite everything she went through, she still knew. Speaking of which…what really happened in her imprisonment?

_"What has he done to you?"_ he asked.

_"Doctor_—_"_

_"What did he do to you?"_ he repeated, fearing the worst.

Rose didn't answer with words, but with reluctance she let him see a few flashing memories, and his stomach churned while his hearts clenched in his chest. The visions appeared blurry at first, but they came into focus, only to make him sicker.

The first vision showed her tied to one of the coral struts in the TARDIS console room. He spat at her with such vulgarity and distasteful remarks enough to make him seethe. Throughout his many tirades he called her profane names, said she wasn't worthy of anything…and then he hit her. _Multiple_ times. Each strike increasing the Doctor's breathing and boiling his blood more as he saw his Rose—his _wife_—being abused by another man. Bad enough she had to deal with one Jimmy Stone when she was younger who treated her like an animal, deluding her with poisonous thoughts of the ideal life. Now it was worse; she was trapped with a callous, volatile sociopath.

And it worsened. She may have tried to shield him from seeing what came next, but something so repugnant and revolting made his hearts stopped beating.

He used tools. Blunt instruments of torture for his own sadistic pleasures. Inwardly wincing at the hearts-wrenching scenes as if looking through her own eyes, images of Rose strapped onto a table in her ripped clothing and being probed with various sharpened objects to create incisions in her skin. And the _cries._ The cries that pierced through his ears that wouldn't silence. Moving over her body he saw her scars, some scabbed and discolored with others faded away. He balled up his fists as they shook, grinding his teeth down hard as he seethed. Every slap, every condescending smile, every tear she cried and every drop of blood that spilled from her wounds drove him over the edge to the point where he just wanted to thrust his hands through the television screens and lunge himself at him.

That bastard. Not even that, he was a _staazula._ Even Rassilon himself wouldn't contest to that.

Out of it all he was at least relieved to know that her most modest delicacies have been uninhabited. For that he could breathe a little easier, but that didn't make him all the way peachy. Yet through all of the pain she's endured, she was still alive and kicking. His brave Rose, always fighting.

_"I'm so sorry, Rose,"_ he finally spoke, his repentance thick. _"I'm **so, so **sorry."_

"_'S **not** your fault. Don't worry about me, and just do what you gotta do to stop the Master. All right? Stop dwelling on any of that, and focus on the number one priority right now."_

How was it that _she_ was the one undoubtedly suffering more than him, and she was still trying to make _him_ feel a little more at ease? Her heart was too pure. He'll never know how she did it. He mentally kicked himself. Rose was always his top priority, and her wellbeing would always come first. He sent her waves of his apology followed by his love, only to have her repeat her sentence before sending the same. They'll make it out of this, they always do.

_"I love you, Rose, and we're coming. **Never** doubt that."_

**_"Always."_**

"You take zoning out to a whole other level," Jack commented from where he sat on the laptop.

The Doctor shook his head and rubbed his eyes under the rim of his glasses again, trying to rid the unpleasant images of his wife being probed, but was unsuccessful. They'll be burnt into his memory for the rest of his long life. "Sorry, I was-I was just…"

"How is she?"

He took a deep breath through his nose and released it from his mouth. "Fine, but not as good as I want her to be," he said with a low voice.

"You going to tell us who he is?" Martha asked. "Apart from the fact that he's another Time Lord, who is he to you? I mean, who'd call himself 'the Master'?"

"A person in need of intense psychological care that will stop at nothing to get what he wants," he answered. "He's someone who I've known just about my entire life, but is nothing more than a problematic menace who currently has my wife incarcerated in an undisclosed location. That's all you need to know." He leaned over to peer at the computer screen. "Come on, show me Harold Saxon."

Martha moved over to her answering machine and her sister Tish came over the speaker._** "Martha, where are you? I've got this new job, you won't believe it. It's weird, they just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for**_**—_"_**

"Oh, like it matters," she muttered as she turned it off.

Various campaign commercials from Saxon's website came on with celebrities endorsing him. How did he manage this? Next Jack pulled up some of Saxon's campaign commercials on the homepage, prompting the Doctor to pay close attention as he moved closer.

"Former Minister of Defense," Jack read off the screen. "First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve." He turned to the Doctor. "Nice work, by the way,"

"Oh, thanks," he replied distractedly.

"He goes back _years,"_ Martha said as she leaned over to click through the photo gallery. "He's famous. Everyone knows his story, look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue, won the Athletics thing, wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life."

She turned back to the Doctor, but he had no response. He simply stared at the screen, his mind buzzing. How could he have accomplished any of this?

"Uh, Jack," Martha said. "I think some tea would do us all some good for right now. Would you mind making some while I freshen up?"

The captain nodded. "Sounds good." He stood up and placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "We'll get her back," he told him before walking in the kitchen as Martha went to her room to change, leaving the Doctor to continue staring blankly at the computer screen, searching for answers he couldn't find.


	57. The Sound of Drums Part 2

**A/N: ****I've declared the Master's theme song to be "The Sound of Madness" by Shinedown. ****Well, then. More with the drums. Thank you lovely reviewers and followers, as always! ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 57: The Sound of Drums Part 2**_

Back on Downing Street the Master walked around the halls while awaiting for his next appearance shortly, glancing at the other high authority figures. He inwardly scoffed. Such peasants, thinking so high of themselves as if they actually have true power. He could say that his first Cabinet meeting was successful. In fact it was a real 'gas'.

Going in with a positive attitude is required, especially with first impressions, and he really believed that he made a mark. No one else could say otherwise. He even clowned around, trying to get the other ministers to loosen up from their stiffness. Unfortunately all of them failed to see the joy and humor of the situation. He attempted to make light heart of the situation, and those old saps just wouldn't accept it or comprehend. They were all jealous, just a bunch of ugly, fat-faced, wet, snivelling traitors who abandoned their own political parties only to jump on his bandwagon the moment they saw the votes swinging his way. He even told them so, putting them on the spot. But it didn't go without a reward for their choices. Sadly he only had one mask once the toxic gas sprayed into the room from the deskphone's speakers.

What a pity. So very tragic. _Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum_.

His little friends were arriving, and his plan was falling into place more and more. Along with the TARDIS adjusted to his liking to allow the upcoming rise with the use of his detailed stratagem, the world will finally find the cure its needed from the disease that's corrupted this lowly planet since its very existence.

He was sure Rose watched his appearance on the television, and was undoubtedly conversing with her precious husband, wherever he was. He'd address him later on, after his next conference. Surely he'd love to know how much fun Rose has been while in his company. That little bitch has gotten what she deserved after being stubborn and impudent, but not entirely everything. Her healing abilities proved stronger than he originally believed from the very first strike. Even the majority of his intricate designs he sketched onto her skin faded. How rude. No matter. He wasn't threatened by another Time Lord and his lady ape of a wife. What good would a wolf do if it never howled? Nothing was coming in the way of his plans. They'll all just watch and witness his ascension to glory.

Coming up to the sitting area where Lucy was waiting for him, he came to a stop when he heard her talking with another woman. He leaned against the door and tuned into the conversation.

"Mrs. Saxon, I have reason to believe that you are in very great danger," the woman said. The voice sounded like that of a pompous old bat who always stuck her nose in other's businesses. At least he believed so. "All of us, in fact. Not just the country, but the whole world." He heard Lucy laugh. "No, I beg of you. Hear me out."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked. He perked his ears up a little more to listen.

"Your husband is not who he says he is. I'm sorry, but it's a lie. Everything's a lie, all of it—the school days, his degree, even his mother and father. It's all invented. Look, Harold Saxon never went to Cambridge. There was no Harold Saxon. The thing is, it's obvious. The forgery is screaming out, and yet no one can see it. It's as if he's mesmerized the entire world."

His eyes narrowed. _Interesting._

"I think perhaps you should leave now," Lucy told her.

He smiled at her. Such a faithful companion, she was. Having a human pet was definitely handy. The Doctor had to have felt like a god amongst them all, including his wife.

"Eighteen months ago, he became real," the other woman continued. "This is his first honest-to-God appearance, just after the downfall of Harriet Jones, and at the exact same time they launched the Archangel Network."

"Mrs. Rook, now, stop it," Lucy responded with a shaky voice. He rolled his eyes. So timid and afraid. If the Doctor and Rose weren't a threat to him, then this other woman was a trifling matter for sure.

"Even now they've said that the Cabinet's gone into seclusion. I mean, what does that mean, 'seclusion'?"

"How should I know?" Lucy asked defensively.

_It means they've died_. Once again, it was such a tragedy. He grinned unabashedly.

"But I've got plenty of research on you," Mrs. Rook said. "Yes, good family, Roedean, not especially bright but essentially harmless, and that's why I'm asking you, Lucy. I am begging you, if you have seen anything, heard anything, even the slightest thing that would give you cause to doubt him…"

"I think…" Lucy trailed off and he straightened up. What was she up to?

"Yes?"

"There was a time when we first met," Lucy said dreamlike. "I wondered…but he was so good to my father, and he said…" she trailed off.

"What?" Mrs. Rook pressed. "Just tell me, sweetheart."

_Use your brain, you dence, deluded girl,_ he thought to himself.

"The thing is…" she began. "I made my choice."

"I'm sorry?" Mrs. Rook said stunned, and he smiled. Oh, this was grand. He quietly stepped through the door, leaning against the frame behind the woman reporter who was seated at the large table, his back to her.

"For better or for worse," Lucy said, not looking up at him in the doorway. "Isn't that right, Harry?"

He smiled. "My faithful companion."

Mrs. Rook turned around and rose from her seat quickly. "Mr Saxon, Prime Minister, I-I-I was just having a little joke with poor little Lucy," she stammered as he walked to the center of the room. "I-I didn't mean—"

"Oh, but you're absolutely right," he said. "Harold Saxon doesn't exist."

"Then tell me…who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the Master," he answered. "And these are my friends."

Holding out his hands he conjured four of the creatures, the remains of those refugees now encased in their whirring metallic spheres. _Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum_.

Mrs. Rook stared at them. "But—"

"I'm sorry," Lucy told her.

"Can't you hear it, Mrs Rook?" the Master asked her as the creatures floated around him.

"What do you mean?" the woman asked.

"The drum beat. The drums are coming closer…and closer." _Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._

The spheres flew closer to the reporter, its sharp blades were drawn and began to spin. "The lady doesn't like us," one of their voices said.

"Silly lady," a second said.

"Dead lady," a third one said before Mrs. Rook screamed.

The Master grabbed Lucy and dragged her out of the room, closing the door behind them as the agonizing screams continued. They were muffled until silencing. That was quite fast. Reaching for the handle he opened the door to take a peek inside, only to close it when the screams continued. He winced at the sound. Another moment later he tried again but the same scene played out. He rolled his eyes. So much for going out with augustness. You'd think that an entire army was slicing her up with the cries escaping that woman.

Rose had never cried _that_ much during his little experiments, especially with his scalpels and switch blades. That resilient little ape had more honor than that useless reporter, and more than he credited her for.

"But she knew! Harry, she knew _everything,"_ Lucy said with shock before giving him a pointed look. "You promised. You said Archangel was one hundred percent."

He demurred and tilted his head for a moment. "Oh…ninety-nine…ninety-eight?"

"But if she's asking questions, then who else?" Lucy remarked fearfully. "How much time have we got?"

"Tomorrow morning, I promise," he said as he brought her into his arms as she shook. Pathetic though it was, reassuring her of his triumph was necessary. "That's when everything ends."

The end of the old world, and the start of something new. Something better.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"But you said he's been here for eighteen months," Jack called from the kitchen just as Martha came back out wearing fresh clothes. The captain came in with their mugs of tea. "How'd he manage all this in eighteen months?"

"I've no idea," the Doctor responded with a shake of his head as he took his mug. "With the Master he's just so…unpredictable at times. I mean, he's attained many a things, but never did I think I'd see the day where he'd become Prime Minister. The Master was always sort of…hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale."

One thing that was certain of the Master was that he was beyond relentless. He remembered lifetimes ago back on Gallifrey when the Master led many students in the Academy in a revolt against the Lord President at the time, where he actually succeeded in assassinating the successor during the coup. He was an unstable and imbalanced hurricane.

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha spoke up, bringing him out of the memory.

"Really?" he asked with a frown.

She shrugged. "Well, it was before I even met you. And I liked him."

"Me too," Jack said.

"Why do you say that?" the Doctor asked. "What was his policy? What did he stand for?"

"I dunno, he always sounded…good," she said as she starting to absentmindedly tap the same rhythm as the old man had earlier. The same steady rhythm of four. He studied it as she continued talking in a dreamy voice. "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about…I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice."

"What's that?" he asked her pointedly.

She flinched at his tone. "What?"

"That!" He said, pointing at her fingers. "That…tapping, that rhythm. What're you doing?"

"I don't know!" she cried defensively. "It's nothing, it's just…I don't know."

Okay then. Martha didn't know the answers, but maybe a certain someone might. _"Rose, what's with this tapping? D'you anything about it? I've seen it before when we arrived, but…what is it?"_

_"I dunno,"_ Rose answered. _"It's the same rhythm, like…like the beating of your hearts, Doctor."_

No wonder it seemed familiar. _"You know what the Master's planning? Has he said anything to you?"_

_"Not entirely, no,"_ she responded flatly._ "But I heard him say something about the Archangel Network, some kinda project he designed himself. Apparently he thinks he's some kind of visionary, makin' things that can change the world. Dunno what its purpose is though since he won't say much about it, but it **does** involve a satellite system. Or…multiple ones, rather. That's all I know."_

The Doctor furrowed his brows. Satellites? What would he be doing with those? Not many answers were given, and it only raised more questions. Still at least there's a little more important information needed for this mess. Rassilon, how he wished this nightmare would come to an abrupt end and they could all go back to their ordinary lives.

As his brain worked to figure out why the Master would be using satellites, a loud fanfare began to play from Martha's laptop. On the screen came a pop-up reading, **_Saxon Broadcast All Channels._**

The Doctor moved to Martha's television and turned it on. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom," he said, sitting himself on the coffee table.

_**"Britain, Britain, Britain,"** _the Master addressed.**_ "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it_**_ **happ**_**_en_—_Big__ Ben destroyed, a spaceship over London, all those ghosts and metal men, the Christmas star that came to kill."_**

Reels of the incidents with the Slitheen ship, followed by the Cybermen marching in synchronicity in the streets, and then the Racnoss webstar being shot down by a shot cannon made the Doctor's breath hitch.

_**"Time and time again the government told you nothing. Well not me**_**—**_**not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this: citizens of Great Britain…I have been contacted. A message, for humanity, from beyond the stars." **_

The Master nodded off to the side, the camera following his direction and stopped when a metal sphere floating in the air appeared on the screen._**"People of the Earth, we come in peace,"**_ it said with a childlike voice._**"We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."**_

The camera returned to the Master, who was smiling widely. How much he wanted to punch that smug grin off of his face. _**"Ooh, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They're called the Toclafane."**_

The Doctor's brows crossed. "What?" he said incredulously. That was impossible. It just _was._ There was no such thing.

_**"And tomorrow morning they will appear,"**_ the Master continued._** "Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every…oh, I don't know…medical student?"**_

Oh, no. The Doctor turned to glance at Martha before reaching forward to spin her TV around, revealing a bomb taped to the back and counting down.

"Out!" he shouted as the three of them retrieved their jackets and the laptop and rushed out of her flat and onto the street. A moment later an explosion shook the street as a quick flame shot up and busted the windows.

_"Doctor, what the hell was that? What happened?"_ Rose hollered in his mind, making him squint his eyes and flinch. Blimey, how she can shout.

_"A bomb attached to a TV," _he answered. _"We're okay. Martha's flat is destroyed, though."_

_"A lover of many toys, he is,"_ she commented.

He inwardly scoffed. _"That he is."_ Shaking himself off he shrugged on his coat and turned to the others, speaking out loud. "All right?"

"Fine, yeah, fine," Jack told him.

The Doctor nodded. "Martha?" He glanced over and found her pulling out her mobile and dialing. Oh no. "What are you doing?"

"He knows about me," she said fearfully, putting it up to her ear as it rang. "What about my family?"

"Don't tell them anything!" he warned.

"I'll do what I like!" she snapped at him before turning away. "Mum? Oh, my God, you're there."

The Doctor raised a hand and began to tug at his hair. They couldn't risk being put in any more danger, and by use of phones they were basically being pit on the spot. Jack placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. At the same time, Rose came to his mind.

_"Relax, Doctor."_ He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath._ "What're the Toclafane?"_ she asked_. "They look like a bunch of metallic balls. What kind of creatures are they?"_

_"For one thing **impossible**,"_ he answered.

Rose scoffed._ "No surprise there."_

_"Mainly because they're **imaginary,** like fairytales. How the Master has them is beyond me."_

_"Wish I could add on to it,"_ she said meekly.

_"Rose, it's fine,"_ he told her. _"As long as you're alive, I couldn't be happier."_He swallowed hard. _Although you've suffered extreme prodding like you were a bloody experiment, and I just want to throw a slew of cheap shots at the Master for laying a finger on you,_ he finished to himself.

Martha came closer to him and Jack, her face full of concern. "Dad? What are you doing there?" She paused, looking up at the Doctor with a frightened look. "Dad? Just say yes or now. Is there someone else there?"

On the other end of the call there was commotion, sounds of a struggle and shouts. _**"Yes!"**_ her father shouted loud enough for the Doctor and Jack to hear over the chaos. _**"Just run! Listen to me, just run! I don't know who they are!"**_

"Dad? What's going on?" Martha cried into the phone. "Dad?" The line went dead and she made a move to run to her car. "I gotta help them!" she shouted.

"That's exactly what they want!" the Doctor told her. "It's a trap!"

"I don't care!" she yelled as she took the driver's seat.

The Doctor groaned and exchanged a look with Jack before they piled in the vehicle along with her, him in the passenger's seat and the captain in the back. Bracing themselves Martha slammed down on the gas as they sped down the street and through traffic. The Doctor didn't want to comment on how reckless she was as they swerved around cars and corners, but she was definitely driving dangerously. He still had a bad feeling about all of this. The Master was scheming, and they were falling into his trap.

"Corner!" the Doctor yelled when the tires skidded across the asphalt, just grazing the pavement.

Martha picked up her phone to dial and put it on speaker as she drove. "C'mon, Tish, pick up," she muttered once it began to ring.

It clicked on, and Tish answered. _**"Martha, I can't talk right now. We just made first contact, did you see**_**—**_**"** _she cut herself off, her voice directed to something else. _**"What're you doing?"**_ She cried before her phone dropped to the ground, the shuffling of heavy footfalls and shouts distancing.

"What's happening? Tish!" The line went dead again and she threw her phone down with a frustrated noise. She shot a look at the Doctor beside her before returning her focus back to the road ahead. "It's your fault!" she shouted. "It's all your _fault!"_

He didn't have a response. What could he say to that? Nothing at all. Honestly he knew she only said that out of distress as her family was currently in the middle of some kind of scuffle, but that didn't mean that it wasn't true. She didn't have to tell him because he already knew everything happening now _was_ by his own doing. Starting with bringing down Harriet Jones on Christmas Day, allowing the Master to slide in and take the election, to ending up at the end of the universe and letting curiosity win over them and explore the wasteland, to encountering 'Professor Yana' and making him open the fob watch, having his ship stolen by the Master and have his wife be the madman's captive for eighteen months.

Silently turning his head he gazed out of the window and watched as the cars and roads passed by at such a fast rate. He'll never forgive himself for this. He wouldn't blame anyone for doing so. They came up to another corner and screeched to a stop at her parents' street, but the road was blocked by armed police officers forcing her mother and father in the back of a van, taken into custody.

Francine was screaming at the officers until she saw them pull up in the car. "Martha, get out of here! Get out!"

"Take aim," a blonde woman instructed.

In an instant the police took their positions, preparing to shoot at them in the car. "Martha, reverse," the Doctor told her, as he tried to steady his breathing once the police inched closer. She appeared frozen at the sight of the guns. "Get out, now!"

She finally budged and made a quick three-point turn, slamming down on the gas. "Move it!" Jack yelled just as the police opened fire and shattered the rear window.

"The only place he can go…planet Earth," Martha spat angrily as she swerved recklessly through the traffic again. "Great."

"Careful!" the Doctor shouted when she almost side swiped another car.

"Now, Martha, listen to me," Jack said from the back. "Do as I say. We've gotta ditch this car. Pull over, right now!"

Driving down the street and over a hill, Martha managed to abandon the car underneath a bridge. Heading out on foot, light rain began to fall.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and pressed his lips together. He's known the Master for so, so long, and this little scheme he's come up with is topping all of the predecessors. That was saying something, for sure. He had Rose in his possession—which only drove him further off the metaphorical wall as he continuously thought about it. They needed to come up with a plan.

Behind him Martha spoke through her phone again, and he resisted the urge to protest. But he overheard her conversation. "Leo! Oh, thank God. Leo, you got to listen to me. Where are you?" She paused. "Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you, don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've got to hide…on my life. You've gotta trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone, just hide." She paused again. "Let them go, Saxon," she said with a hard voice, causing both the Doctor and Jack to stop in their tracks. "D'you hear me? Let them go!"

Rushing over to her he pulled the phone out of her hand and gave her a look before placing it to his ear. "I'm here."

There was a tense pause on the other end before the other man spoke. _**"Doctor."**_

"Master."

_**"I love it when you say my name,"**_ the Master said with delight.

"You chose it," the Doctor replied with a sneer, walking away from Martha and Jack as he talked. "Psychiatrist's field day."

_**"As you chose**_ **_yo__urs_**_**—the man who makes people better. How santimonious is that?"** _he mocked._** "I see where that little ape of yours gets it from."**_

The tone he was using caused him to grit his teeth and ball up his free hand into a fist. "Where's Rose? What've you done to her?"

_**"What, no congratulations on my electoral win?"**_ the Master said, insulted.**_ "I've worked hard to get to where I'm at, you know. Some gratitude would be nice."_**

Gratitude? He should be grateful he's not too close to get clipped in the face. "Where is my wife?" he ground out through clenched teeth, trying to keep his composure, but felt himself slipping. The other man's ego was trying to break him, but he had to try to keep his control.

_**"Nowhere near you,"**_ the Master told him with the delighted tone again.**_"Somewhere in a secluded area. You know, she's a fun person. I'm sure you love that about her, huh? All of that_**_ **youthful**_**_ness_—_"_**

"Stop it!" the Doctor hissed.

_**"You must be so proud of her,"**_ he continued._** "She's quite the feisty one. So strong and resilient…and incredibly jeopardy friendly."** _He chuckled. **_"That healing factor of hers w_**_**as always a thrill to experiment with."**_

The Doctor's insides were shaking, causing his fist to tremble at his side when the memories Rose had shown him earlier flooded over him again. The sight of her writhing on the table, the prominent crimson scars covering her once porcelain skin, and the cries…

He slammed his fist hard against the bark of a tree, barely paying any mind to the pain shooting up his arm at contact to the rigid surface. "I told you that she has _absolutely nothing_ to do with you," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

_**"But she has everything to do with you,"** _the other man shot back.

"Just leave her alone."

**_"Ooh, have I pinched a nerve there?"_ **the Master teased. **_"I assure you that she is perfectly safe…for now. But if you even try to interfere with my plans and make a foolish attempt to rescue her, your precious wife will be as good as dead before you could even reach her. And I'd even let my new little friends take care of the job. Wouldn't want another fault added to your never-ending pile, would you?"_**

The Doctor closed his eyes and ducked his head, clenching his teeth hard enough to cause pain as he suppressed a growl. He wanted to punch that man so hard in the face that he didn't care about the regrets that would follow. He needed to calm himself down and ease into this. Rose's safety is his number one priority, always.

Licking his lips, he asked evenly. "Who are those creatures? Because they're not the Toclafane; that's just a made-up name like the Bogeyman."

_**"Do you remember all those made-up tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home."** _He paused for a second.**_ "Where is it, Doctor?"_**

The Doctor let out a deep breath through his nose. He knew exactly where this was going. "Gone. It burnt."

_**"And the Time Lords?"**_

"Dead."

_**"That's what she told me,"**_ the Master said. _**"Never thought she was telling the truth."**_

"Oh, but you tried to see it, didn't you?" the Doctor said mockingly with a grin. "You tried to get inside of her head, but were denied access."

_**"It was an impressive trick, I must say,"**_ the other Time Lord said. **_"How clever of you."_**

"Oh, I can't take all the credit, it wasn't _all_ me. Like you said, she's strong."

_**"So I've heard. She also mentioned that she destroyed the Dalek empire. Now that had to be an exciting experience."**_

"More or less," the Doctor responded. Not _all_ of them were destroyed. One was still floating around out there. Now wasn't the time to reminisce on those old enemies when another was speaking to him. "What happened to you?" he asked, switching the topic.

_**"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War,"** _the Master answered._** "I was there when the Dalek emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. I made myself human so they would never find me. Because…because I was so scared."**_

The Doctor swallowed hard. "I know." Rassilon, did he know.

_**"What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilizations, burning."**_ The Master sighed._** "Oh, tell me, how did that feel?"**_

"Stop it!"

_**"You must have been like God."**_

The Doctor inhaled a shaky breath, acutely remembering the the scene as it played out in his mind. "Thing about being a God is that it would only lead to loneliness. I was alone for a while, but not anymore. It doesn't have to be this way, there's only us that's left. You can stop this right now."

_**"It's too late,"** _the Master told him.

"Why do you say that?"

_**"The drumming,"**_ the other man said. _**"Can't you hear it? Inside my head. I thought it would stop…but it never does. It never, ever stops. Inside my head. The drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming."**_

"I can help you. Please, let me help."

_**"It's everywhere. Listen. Listen. Listen."**_ A short pause._** "Here come the drums. Here come…the drums…"**_

Off in the distance the Doctor caught sight of a young man loitering by a building tapping a beat on his legs. The same rhythm the old beggar and Martha made.

"What have you done?" he demanded as he began to walk again. "Tell me, how have you done this? What are those creatures? Tell me!"

_**"Ooh, look! You're on TV!"**_ the Master chirped happily.

"Stop it! Answer me!"

_**"No, really, you're on telly!"** _he exclaimed._** "You and your little band, which by the way is ticking every demographic box, so congratulations on that. Look, there you are! Ha!"** _he laughed.

The Doctor walked up to a shop window broadcasting the news on one of the televisions._** "…they are known to be armed and extremely dangerous…"**_ the newscaster was saying as a picture of himself popped on the screen along with Martha and Jack, listing them as terrorists. Brilliant, just what he was trying to avoid this whole time. Publicity.

_**"You're public enemies one, two, and three."**_ He chuckled. _**"All partners in crime. The Three Stooges. Oh! And you can tell 'Handsome Jack' that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so you won't be getting any help from them."**_

The Doctor turned to look at Martha and Jack, nodding at them to join him from where he stood while the Master continued over the phone. _**"Go on, off you go, why not start out by turning to the—"**_ the Doctor turned to the right just as the Master exclaimed.**_ "—right!"_**

Looking up he noticed a CCTV camera catching their every movements. "He can see us!" he said angrily as he raised the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the device, disabling it as sparks flew out of it, all connection lost.

_**"Oh! You public menace!"**_ The Master said. **_"Better start running. Go on…run!"_**

With a growl of frustration the Doctor snapped the phone shut, resisting the urge to slam his fist through the front shop window. Conniving bastard. "He's got control of everything," he told the others. "We gotta get away from here."

"We've got nowhere to go," Jack told him.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, thanks for pointing it out," the Doctor snapped.

"What do we do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "We run."

And with that they did, running down an alleyway. Their destination? Unknown.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_Bollocks._

Rose sat on her bed and watched in disgust as the newscaster made her report on the evening news, deeming the Doctor, Jack, and Martha as dangerous terrorists. They're labeled as a band of outlaws and are probably on the run by now, and it sickened her. He had control of everything. It had to do with this Archangel Network, it had to. A system of satellites that were a part of this project he designed himself? It was a shoe in. She wished she knew more of what he was scheming, but he's kept himself locked up. The only other person that would know exactly what his little game, other than the few lackeys he's brainwashed, was Lucy. But getting her to spill any details was somewhat disadvantageous as she clammed herself up around others.

Though her connection with the Doctor was still faint, she could easily feel his frustration as it continued to grow. Every once in a while she'd catch him swearing in his language. Those Toclafane seemed to be myths, stories told to others. But they apparently existed. The Doctor thought they were impossible, but by now anything's bound to show up to prove the world wrong. Once upon a time the Time Lords were a myth, but that proved to be wrong.

Whatever those spheres were they were affiliated with the Master, so no good will come out of their existence. It was only a matter of time until this madness will end. She just knew it.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The nighttime came as the Master grinned as he turned to his laptop, leaning back in his chair as he watched the _Teletubbies._ Creatures accessing television in their stomachs. Now _that_ was evolution. Maybe once he rose to the top he could visit those creatures.

This interesting program, entertaining though it was, couldn't match the amusing sight that was the Doctor's discontentment. After all of these years the feeling never changed, despite the fact that both of them have countless times. Which, speaking of disposable, he had a notion that the Doctor was further along in his regenerations. That was nothing new. He always wasted them poorly by 'saving the universe' or accidentally slamming his head on the TARDIS console. Talk about accident prone and jeopardy friendly. It's no wonder he and Rose got along well. Accidents always waiting to happen.

From behind him he sensed one of his little friends appearing. "Is the machine ready?" the Toclafane asked. Judging by the voice it was a female.

"Tomorrow morning," he told it. "It reaches critical at 8:02 precisely."

"We have to escape, because it's coming, sir," it warned. "The darkness…the never-ending darkness. The terribly terrible cold. We have to run and run and run."

The never-ending darkness along with the never-ending drums. Quite the combination.

_Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._

"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning," the Master informed. "Tell your people; the world is waiting."

In a number of hours, a whole new dawn will rise over the world.


	58. The Sound of Drums Part 3

**A/N: ****Sound of Drums will be in four parts I broke this chapter in two mainly because I'm freaking myself out with the arc and trying to get myself ahead. ****Totally unrelated (well, somewhat) but everytime Gallifrey is described I always think of the song "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars.**

**And I'm posting this on my birthday while freaking myself out with this arc, just for you guys. ****As always thank you lovely viewers! You guys keep me sane as I write this **

* * *

_**Chapter 58: The Sound of Drums Part 3**_

By nightfall the trio finally found a safe place to hide away, and in good timing as the rain continued to fall along with the cold air. Luckily coming across an abandoned warehouse they got their bearings together and tried to form a plan. The Doctor sat with his specs perched on his nose as he searched for information on the laptop while Jack sat by the small fire they created, toying with his vortex manipulator. In the meantime Martha went out to fetch them some food, fully promising to keep a low profile and remain disclosed from any pedestrians on the streets waiting to take her in. Life on the run for public enemies. Wonderful.

As he worked his eyes unfocused as he couldn't stop the vexatious reels of Rose suffering from the continuous torture the Master has put her through for the last eighteen months—at least in _her_ him it's only been hours, whereas she's had months. _A year and a_ _half._ All of that precious time wasted. Having an extended lifetime such a duration barely put a dent in it, but he promised her that they'd spend their entirety together, savoring every second that passed them by. And the Master took eighteen months of it away from her, and it infuriated him impossibly more.

Rassilon knows what would've occurred had she not spent it in captivity. She'd still be with him, and they'd be in the TARDIS flying across the stars in between their bouts of unconditional love. All of this happening after an ideal honeymoon experience. All of their anniversaries had passed by in her time, and she was left alone during those precious moments, and he expected her to remember them. Things like that were important to Rose. She always took special days like those seriously, and those were no exception. Drifting back onto his wife's physical and psychological well being, he hoped the Master hadn't tried to convince her that he wasn't coming for her. He had a reputation for being hypnotic, and poisoning Rose's mind to believe false beliefs would be one of his many methods.

By how she sounded the few times they've communicated via their bond, she was relieved and they conversed as they normally would. That was a good sign. But she was tired. She's been enduring every hellish obstacle that the Master pulled on her, every poke and prod. As if worrying about the condition of his wife wasn't bad enough his beautiful ship has been suffering as well. Two gaping holes in his mind wasn't a pleasant feeling, but that's what he had. For Rose, there was still that small filling which would've overwhelmed him had the TARDIS not have been tampered with. Where was She, and what was Her own condition? Both of his favorite girls were in trouble, felt sick, and he didn't even know their exact locations.

His fingers hitting the keys off the laptop added pressure, tapping loudly the more he thought. He was always a man of mercy, but he was reaching his breaking point. When this whole battle ended he may not show any forgiveness for what the Master has done. His once best friend abused his wife with such cruelty and barbarity, and for that alone he would _not_ receive such clemency.

"You okay, Doc?" Jack suddenly spoke up, bringing him out of his musings.

The Doctor snapped his eyes to see the captain staring at him. "Yeah, 'course," he said quickly as he resumed typing on the laptop, lighter this time. "Fine. Fantastic."

"Mind meld?" The Doctor glanced up and gave him a pointed look. "Sorry. Too Spock for you?"

"If you're saying that as an implication that I share similarities to Vulcans—"

"Well, you _do._ Aside from the whole emotional spectrum and pointed ears. Although your last regeneration's ears were a little out of the ordinary."

The Doctor nodded. "Maybe a little bit."

"Birds could've sheltered themselves from the sunlight under those things," Jack continued.

"Oi, watch it," the Doctor told him. He knew Jack was trying to lighten the mood if only for a small minute, but the air was thickening around him as he couldn't bring himself to break a grin right now.

"Were you communicating with her again?"

He sucked in a breath. "No, I was just…" he trailed off and pressed his lips together.

"We're gonna get Rose back, Doc," Jack said softly. "She's strong. If she handled eighteen months, she can handle at least less than one more day until we get a move on and crack this whole operation."

He sighed and nodded. He hoped so. "What've you been up to as of lately, Jack?" he asked suddenly. "You said you based yourself in Cardiff and had a team."

The captain crossed one of his legs over the other. "Just…doing what you've been doing; saving the world from any galactic buddies."

"Oh?"

"Pretty much. Just me and a bunch of friends in this…organization."

The Doctor raised his head and arched an eyebrow at Jack, who resumed tweaking his vortex manipulator. He seemed a bit wary about this topic. Something felt odd. He was reluctant to tell him more, he could tell.

Before the Doctor could press the subject Martha came back, her coat wrapped tight around her body as she carried bags. "How was it?" he asked.

"I don't think anyone saw me," she told them as Jack stood to take the bags from her and place them on the table in front of the Doctor. "Anything new?"

"I've got this tuned into the government wavelength so we can follow what Saxon's doing," Jack said, indicating the device on his wrist.

"Yeah, I meant about my family," she clarified.

"It still says 'The Jones family taken in for questioning'," the Doctor told her, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Tell you what though, no mention of Leo."

"He's not as daft as he looks," Martha said with a faint smile. "I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

"Nice chips," Jack commented as he took a container out of food and passed them around the table.

The Doctor reached over and popped one into his mouth. He stopped chewing for a second. Rose always loves her chips, to the point where it could be considered an addiction, and not just a strong admiration. All of the little playful spats of them picking on each other's love of particular foods—him with his bananas and her with her chips. No doubt she hasn't had a flexible diet in the whole time she's been in captivity. Another sickening feeling washed over him. He was no longer hungry.

"Doctor, eat," Martha told him gently as she sat down.

"I'm fine—"

"Listen," she reached over and placed her hand on his forearm. "We're gonna get Rose back. In the meantime you still need to take care of yourself. And I'm a doctor…sort of…and you shouldn't starve yourself. Even Time Lords can't afford that."

"It's only chips, Martha," he told her. "Not really a big deal. I just…I'm not that hungry right now."

She sighed as she let go of his forearm and ate. While his nerves were shaking, he had to admit that his stomach was growling lightly. Giving in he took a few other chips in his palm and picked at them, leaning back in his chair as he ate.

"I've been thinking," Jack spoke up. "How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"And who is he to you, Doctor?" Martha added. "I know you said that we didn't need to know much about him, but is he like a colleague—"

"A friend at first," he answered, popping another chip into his mouth, his gaze lowered.

"I thought you were gonna say he was your secret brother or something," Martha said.

He glanced up at her and stopped chewing, an annoyed look on his face. "You've been watching too much TV." At one time he considered him like another brother…those days were _long_ gone now.

She held up her hands. "Sorry."

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack said with a frown.

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was, it was _beautiful."_ The Doctor raised his head as he reminisced on his home, how he wanted to remember it. Gallifrey in all its splendor. "They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the continent of Wild Endeavor, in the mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords—the oldest and most mighty race in the universe. Looking down on the galaxies below, sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey were taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy." He paused for a second. "Some say that's where it all began—when he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism, it's a…gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. We stand there…eight years old…staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired. Some would run away. And some would go mad." Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he shook himself out of his trance. "Oh, I dunno."

For a moment he felt the slightest wave of Rose in the back of his mind and he closed his eyes. Any time he spoke of home a cold shiver would shoot through him. Still, just having the more pleasant memories was all the recollection he wanted.

"What about you?" Martha asked. "Which were you?"

"Oh, the ones that ran away," he said proudly, eating more chips. "I never stopped."

Jack's vortex manipulator beeped, gaining their attention. "Encrypted channel with files attached," he said. "Don't recognize it."

"Patch it through to the laptop," the Doctor said, leaning forward to grab it, but Jack pulled it back.

"Since we're telling stories…" he said, gesturing for the Doctor to stand so he could take his spot. "There's something I haven't told you. Just…trust me, it's not what you think."

Well, that sounded promising.

Jack began to type on the laptop. Where was he going with this? And that's when a honeycomb logo arranged to form the letter 'T' popped up on the screen along with the very name of the organization he despised.

"You work for Torchwood!" the Doctor snapped angrily, glaring at the man. No wonder he never told him about it. Because he knew how furious he'd be.

"I swear to you, it's different," Jack told him, but he wasn't believing it.

"Everything Torchwood did, and you're part of it?"

"It's _changed,"_ the captain stressed. "There's only half a dozen of us now."

The Doctor let out a mirthless laugh as he paced around. "Oh, sure, that definitely justifies everything."

"Doc—"

"What the hell is the matter with you?" The Doctor yelled, whipping around to face the man. "Don't you know what those people have done to my life? To _Rose?_ She was almost taken away from me _forever._ Or worse, could've _died. _Because of them, she'll never see her mother again. Her, Mickey, or her baby brother or sister. She'll never even know the gender of her sibling because of them."

"It's not like she's alone now!" Jack shot back. "I'm sorry about what happened to her mother, believe me. That shouldn't happen to anyone. But she still has _you,_ Doctor. You're her _husband."_

"That's not the point of this," the Doctor said shaking his head. "The fact of the matter is that you're involved in an organization that _destroys _lives."

"Both of you arguing isn't solving anything," Martha said irritably from the side.

The Doctor raised his brows at her. "In case you haven't _realized,_ Martha, my _wife_ has been incarcerated for a _year and_ _a half_ with a bloody madman who's _abused_ her thoroughly with his hands and splints and scalpels and whatever the hell _else_ he could get a hold of to the point where she is in need of serious attention, and has been locked up in numerous cells of locations she's not even aware of, so excuse me if I'm_not_ all fine and dandy at the moment!" he yelled angrily.

_"You're_ not the only one with loved ones taken away," she shot back. "Not everyone is capable of talking to each other through our minds. I know it's all about you and Rose, but there's _other_ people. My parents were taken in by your old psychopath of a friend, too. _You're_ not the only one in a sour mood right now."

"Getting my wife out is of _higher_ priority," he said with a dangerous and low voice. "And now I have to deal with bloody Torchwood again."

"I told you, it's different!" Jack hollered. "The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf. I rebuilt it and changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honor."

The Doctor scoffed. "Honor? To what exactly? All of those innocent lives that died that day? Tearing Rose away from her family? Where's the honor in that? That's what I stand for, right?"

Jack stood up from his seat and walked over to him to place a hand on his shoulder. "Doc, please. You've gotta trust me—"

"Why should I now?" the Doctor cried, brushing the captain's hand off and glaring at him. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you."

Jack looked him straight in the eye, softly saying, "Rose."

His breath hitched and he felt his insides tremble. He had no response to that. Turning around he paced with one of his hands thrusted in his hair. To be fair Jack has been a big help so far in all of this, and he's snapped at him quite a few times today, even when they were still at the end of the universe. The man didn't deserve that. Rose trusted him as well. Ever since after the Blitz. Right now he didn't really have any other choice. While Jack still have him twitchy feelings, he needed all the help he could get in retrieving his wife and his ship. And now he was snapping at Martha. She had every right to be upset as well. After all, she was desperate to save her parents just as he was to get Rose.

A hand pressed onto his back and he inwardly flinched before turning back around, lowering his hand from his hair. "You have every right to be upset," Jack said calmly, placing both hands on his shoulders. "But I promise you, it's completely different now. Me and my gang aren't threats to you or the world, and vice versa. We're gonna get Rose back, Doc. She's your wife, and both of you are my friends. I'd die for you two in an instant."

"Only to be brought back to life," the Doctor said.

Jack patted his shoulders. "The same principle applies. Like you said, we have to lead into this carefully. But we all have to remain calm."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized, letting out a deep breath. "I just…Martha, I'm sorry that you and your family has gotten involved in my own personal battles. I promise we'll get them out. And Jack…I trust you."

The captain nodded. "C'mon, let's go check those files."

Making their way back over to the laptop, the men sat down and opened the file. A woman came on and spoke.

**_"If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty two hundred hours, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means, if you're watching this, then I'm…anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network."_**

The Doctor scrubbed the lower half of his face when the posthumous message ended. "Archangel Network…Rose had told me about that earlier. She said it had to do with satellites." Then it clicked. "Oh! Satellites! Emitting a sound, a signal, a-a connection."

"I've got Archangel," Martha said, pulling out her phone. "Everyone's got it."

He stared at her. "And you never said anything?"

"You never asked," she countered defensively.

"It's a mobile phone network," Jack confirmed, pointing at the graphic of satellites. "It's gone worldwide. They've got fifteen satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel."

The Doctor grabbed Martha's phone and took out his sonic, scanning it. "It's in the phones! Oh, I said he was a hypnotist. _You getting all this, Rose?"_ he added in his mind.

_"Gotcha,"_ she responded._ "It's all in the phones."_

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He tapped the phone against the table a few times, emitting a beeping sound with the same four beat rhythm. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere. Ticking away in the subconscious."

_"So, it's like brainwashing?"_ Rose asked curiously.

"What is it, mind control?" Martha asked.

"No, no, no, no, no, subtler than that," he answered both women. "Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code: Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world. Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from me, because I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal canceled him out."

"Any way you can stop it?" Jack questioned.

"Not from down here. But now we know how he's doing it."

Martha couldn't help but give a small smile. "And we can fight back."

The Doctor looked up at her, and for the first time today he's felt hope other than fear and anger. "Oh, yes!" And now he was able to come up with a plan. "You two, give me your keys," he told them.

"What for?" Martha asked as she pulled hers out.

He grinned. "Just you wait and see."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

If Rose wasn't cuffed to the shackles of her current chair she would've cheered for joy. Well, at least she could still do it internally. It may not be the same effect but still, it was something worth smiling over.

Now they knew what the Master's been up to with the Archangel Network. He's been placing the drumbeat inside everyone's head, like what he attempted to do to her, but failed—whispering to them to trust him. Oh, that was very sneaky of him. He's been hiding under the radar where the Doctor wouldn't be able to detect him. It was nice to have a sliver of hope in all of this now.

The outer door creaked open and the Master stepped through by himself, a faint smile on his face. Unlocking her cell door he entered. He stood and just stared at her. "Enjoying yourself, are we?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really," she said. "I was watching one of my favorite shows when it switched to the news. Thanks for that."

He smiled wider. "You're very welcome. Current affairs are so much better than some mindless cartoon on telly."

"Says the man who watches the _Teletubbies,"_ she said with a snort.

The Master chuckled. "Shame you won't be able to see my next visit. I'm about the meet the President of the United States. Apparently he's not too thrilled about the whole 'mentioning the Toclafane without getting his attention' thing." He sighed. "That's so boring."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "Should've known what you were going into since you wanted to become Prime Minister."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I know very well what I'm doing, which is why I'm gonna make everything more…" he waved his hand in the air, "exciting."

"What are they?" Rose asked. "The Toclafane. They shouldn't exist."

"I see you've been conversing with your husband," he said derisively. "You'll find out soon enough…or not."

"You're not gonna win," she told him firmly. "He's coming, and he's gonna stop you."

He grasped her jaw forcefully, aggravating an old bruise that was fading. "The only thing coming is the drums, and they'll never be stopped. Can't you hear them coming? Oh, of course you can't, because you're 'strong and utterly brilliant'. Keep on believing in him. It won't get you out of here any time soon."

He shoved her away and she shook her head. "You can still stop this," she said. "The Doctor could help you. You can still end everything—"

"It's too late," he told her. "The drums are coming."

"And so is the Doctor," she replied. "You think you're so smart - thinking that you're the 'master' of everything—where you haven't even got a clue." She studied him. "Though there _is_ one thing you're brilliant at."

"And what's that?"

"Failure."

He smacked her hard, numbing her cheek. "And you still have that notion that your precious Doctor is a _saint,_ and that he's _perfect._ He's failed countless times before. What makes us so different then?"

Rose shrugged. "Simple. He's been the one who's defeated _you_ time and time again."

He backhanded her and she spit the blood at him, making him scowl. "Trying to soil my outfit before I meet the President? You ungrateful, tenacious bitch," he growled as he brought a hand to her throat, leaning closer. "You will watch as ascend to power while the omneity of the human race falls. Be careful or else you won't be around to see it. You and your beloved husband."

Releasing her roughly he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. "Now if you'll excuse me, the wife and I have a date with the President." He turned to leave, but he stopped at the entrance of her cell. Looking over his shoulder he shot her a grin. "We've had plenty of fun together, Rose. And by morning…it's only gonna continue."

When he left the room altogether Rose rolled her eyes and sighed. Like she hasn't heard that before in all eighteen months. She ignored it. The Doctor was here and right now he was probably coming up with a plan, and hopefully by tomorrow morning this little project the Master's got going will crash and burn for good.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Back in the warehouse the Doctor focused on the job at hand by assembling the parts of his plan. Various metal scraps lay on the table where he worked with intense concentration. Using the sonic screwdriver he welded the circuitry to both Martha and Jack's keys as well as his own along with pulling apart the laptop and phone.

Off to the side Martha and Jack watched him as he worked in silence. All she could think about was her mum and dad. She prayed to God that they weren't harmed or put into any kind of danger from that bloody Saxon. She wasn't even entirely sure of what they've done to Rose. The Doctor had told her that she was abused for the entirety of the eighteen months she's been stuck here. She shivered at the thought. While he was pretty snappy and acting like a bit of an arse to both She and Jack, but they couldn't blame him. But now they had some hope to stop this chaos from worsening.

"Three TARDIS keys," the Doctor said as he pulled out some strings to attach onto the keys and stood from his seat. "Three pieces of the TARDIS with low-level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in," he tilted his head. "Well, sort of. Now the Archangel Network's got a second low-level signal. Weld the key to the network and…Martha, look at me." Stepping back he held his key in his hand. "You can see me, yes?"

She nodded. "Yep!"

"What about now?" He slipped the key over his head to dangle around his neck, causing Martha to blink a few times and look off to the side. "No, I'm right here. Look at me," he said, waving his hand.

Martha shook her head, her brows furrowed. "It's like…I know you're there but I don't _want_ to know."

He nodded, though she couldn't see him. "And back again." He removed the key, bringing him back to her vision. "See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just…unnoticed."

"Just like ghosts," Jack commented.

The Doctor nodded. "Exactly." He handed the others their keys. "Now, remember, don't take them off. Don't run, don't shout, don't draw any attention to yourselves. Remain as inconspicuous as possible or else the field breaks and you'll be noticed."

* * *

**I know, that's an odd place to stop. Sorry about that. Still, hope you enjoyed this. ;)**


	59. The Sound of Drums Part 4

**A/N: ****Much love to you lovely reviewers and followers! Your feedback is always welcome and greatly appreciated :D ****And thanks to all of the birthday wishes! *hands out cake* You know today's David Tennant's 44th b-day, so celebrate by appreciating his loveliness! XD**

* * *

_**Chapter 59: The Sound of Drums Part 4**_

Leaving the abandoned warehouse the trio walked the dark streets like ghosts, careful not to come into close contact with anyone. Luckily for them there wasn't a soul outside wandering around, so there wasn't too much to worry about.

The Doctor felt Rose locking herself out again, and he could imagine why. Not only was she becoming weaker more and more without the TARDIS around, but he guessed—no, he was certain that the Master had abused her again, and she was keeping it all to herself. Probably didn't want him to fall into an even deeper pool of livid fury…which was redundant to say the least since he already reached his boiling point.

They made it to the airport where the Master was to meet the President of the United States, Arthur Winters. An limousine escorted them at the base as the Master and his wife exited while the President stood waiting for him. Just the sight of him from afar made the Doctor ball up his fists and grind down on his teeth again. How he was able to resist himself from shattering the perception filter just to rush over to the man and wring his neck was a bit of a shock, but like he had said earlier, with this situation comes delicacy and caution.

The Master went up to the President and gave him a mock salute. From where the Doctor was able to hear most of the conversation, though it was pretty hushed.

"Mr. Saxon," Winters said with a glare. "The British Army will stand down. From now on, UNIT has control of this operation."

"You make it sound like an invasion," the Master said.

"First contact policy was decided by the Security Council in 1968—and you've just gone and ignored it."

The Master shrugged. "Well, you know what it's like; new job, all that paperwork. I think it's down the back of the settee. I did have a quick look. I found a pen, a sweet, a bus ticket," he gestured at the blonde woman behind him, "and have you met the wife?"

The President wasn't amused. "Mr. Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?"

The Master responded by raising his hand to his lips, miming them to be zipped up. The Doctor curled his own lip in disgust. Not much has changed.

"Are you taking this seriously?" Winters asked, and the Master nodded. "To business. We've accessed your files on these…Toclafane. First contact cannot take place on any sovereign soil. For that purpose, the aircraft carrier _Valiant_ is en route. The rendezvous will take place there at 8 am." The Master tried to speak with his zipped lips, and the President shook his head. "You're trying my patience, sir."

The Master raised his hand again and unzipped his lips. "So, America is completely in charge?"

"Since Britain elected an ass, yes," the other man answered. "I'll see you onboard the _Valiant."_

The man turned to leave, but the Master spoke up. "It still will be televised, though, won't it? Because I promised, and the whole world is watching."

The President turned to face him. "Since it's too late to pull out, the world will be watching. _Me." _The man walked away and got in the car waiting for him.

The Master watched the man and gestured for his wife to go inside their car while he watched the President drove off. He glanced over to where the three of them were standing when a siren went off. The Doctor tried to steady his breathing when they locked eyes. He remembered th pleasure on his face when he tortured his Rose, and it only sickened him more. Stick with the plan, he told himself. They couldn't afford to blow their cover.

One of the police vans pulled up and Jones family, save Leo, were pulled out. The Master laughed. "Hi, guys! All will be revealed!"

"Oh, my God," Martha breathed out.

"Don't move," the Doctor warned her.

"But—"

"Don't."

All they could do was watch as the family was tugged and thrown into another car. "I'm gonna kill him," Martha muttered angrily.

"Say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack said.

The Doctor kept his eyes fixed on the Master as he entered the car with his wife. "Don't give me any ideas," he said with a dark voice. What Jack basically suggested sounded an awful lot like Torchwood, but with the way he was currently merciless. But of course there was something else. "He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility. The least I can do is try to save him."

Jack turned to him. "You can't be serious. After everything he's done to Rose?"

He inhaled a deep breath through his nose but gave no response at first as he continued to state off into the distance ahead. "I have to be the one to deal with him. I have to try. And I _stress_ try. If not… then what comes after will be by his own doing," came his response in a dark voice.

He didn't know what would happen next, but he was on the cusp of losing any control he had. And when he was within reach of the man he would have to use all of his might to refrain from grabbing the man by his throat.

Jack looked at his strap and began to type onto his device. "Aircraft carrier _Valiant._ It's a UNIT ship at 28.2N and 10.02E."

"How do we get onboard?" Martha asked.

The Doctor finally turned to glance at Jack. "Does that thing work as a teleport?"

"Since you revamped it, yeah," he answered. "Coordinates set."

As the Master drove away the three of them each put a hand on the vortex manipulator and teleported to the _Valiant._ A moment later they found themselves in an engine room. Both Martha and Jack groaned from the move, but the Doctor was firmly on his feet. This must be where Rose was held captive. Right where the Master put in all of his parts of the plan.

_"Where'd you go?"_ Rose asked in his mind angrily, making him wince again.

Looking out he noticed that it was the daytime, and they were currently on the aircraft. No wonder she was annoyed. _"Sorry for that,"_ he answered._ "Used that bloody space hopper of Jack's."_

_"Comes in handy, though."_ She paused. _"It's morning. He said that everything ended today."_

_"We're on our way, love,"_ he said firmly. _"This'll all be over soon, I promise. Whatever the Master told you, ignore him. He's trying to get inside your head. I'm coming for you."_

_"I believe in you, Doctor,"_ she told him. _"I love you."_

He nodded. _"Always, Rose.** Always.**"_

"Oh, that thing is rough," Martha said out loud.

"I've had worse nights," Jack said as he cracked his neck. "Welcome to the Valiant."

"It's dawn," Martha said as she walked up to a porthole. "Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?"

"A ship for the 21st century," Jack said. "Protecting the skies of planet Earth."

"C'mon, let's go," the Doctor said as the trio began to run through the low level of the ship. Minutes later he abruptly skidded to a stop when something came to his mind.

"We have no time for sightseeing!" Jack told him.

He held up a hand as he listened intently. "No no, wait. Shh, shh, shh. Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Jack asked.

Martha ran past him. "Doctor, my family's onboard."

A smile creeped onto his face. "Brilliant!" Trying to follow the brief wave he glanced around. "This way!"

In a flash he darted down the corridor before rushing down a flight of stairs, the other two following him. Another set of twisting corridors lay ahead of them, but he maneuvered through them, following the faint sound in his ears. Coming up to double doors he pulled them open and grinned widely. The TARDIS was here.

"Oh, at last!" he cried happily as he ran up to his ship. He barely registered Martha's equal joy and Jack's wonder as to why it was onboard. While She still sounded sick, hopefully it wasn't anything too severe that he couldn't fix. One step closer to retrieving Rose and defeating the Master.

And then he was taken aback two more steps instead.

Upon entering the console room was bathed in an eerie crimson light, the time rotor and console surrounded by a cage and multiple wires spliced and sticking out. She was a mess. A complete and utter wreck. His glee vanished immediately as his anger returned again. Like it would actually stay away.

"What the hell's he done?" Jack said in shock as he took in the horrifying sight.

"Don't touch it," the Doctor warned through gritted teeth.

"I'm not going to," Jack told him as the three of them came up to the caged off console.

"What's he done though?" Martha asked with a frown. "Sounds like it's…sick."

"It can't be," the Doctor said quietly as he stared at the rotor. "No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be."

"Doctor, what is it?" Martha asked.

"He's cannibalized the TARDIS," he said with a soft voice.

He knew something didn't feel right, why the Old Girl felt off. He figured, judging by the sound of Rose's voice in his head that she was weakening little by little since she was connected to the TARDIS. He wasn't expecting _this_ though.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jack asked with widened eyes.

The Doctor walked around the cage. "It's a paradox machine." He noticed the gauge on the side and examined it. "As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger at…" he glanced over at Jack's wristwatch. "Two minutes past eight."

The sole purpose of a paradox machine is to use a substantial amount of power—in this case, using the TARDIS—to prevent the universe from collapsing under the inherent contradiction of allowing a paradox to exist. Why was he doing this?

"First contact is at eight," Jack said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "And then two minutes later…"

"What's it for?" Martha asked. "What's a paradox machine do?"

"More importantly, can you stop it?" Jack asked.

The Doctor looked around his ship's console room again. "Not until I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit and blow up the solar system."

"Then we've got to get to the Master," Martha said.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "How do we stop him?"

"Oh, I've got a way," he said confidently. He caught them both staring at him and he arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, didn't I tell you?"

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Slipping into the conference room, the trio caught President Winters standing before everyone and addressing them. "My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world…" Cameras were around to broadcast the whole event live. "I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity—a role I will undertake with utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew. For as long as man has looked to the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone…"

"This plan, you gonna tell us?" Jack asked quietly.

The Doctor held up his TARDIS key dangling around his neck. "If I can get this around the Master's neck…cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real." He glanced around the room, eyeing all of the 's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me…you've both got a key."

"Yes, sir," he said.

"I'll get him," Martha whispered angrily.

"…And I ask you now," Winters continued. "I ask of the human race, to join with me in welcoming our friends. I give you the Toclafane." The metal spheres appeared in the air, floating around the man. The Doctor saw where the Master sat at the table, resting back with his hands together. Winters addressed everyone again. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon.

"You're not the Master," one of the spheres said.

"We like the Mr. Master," another said.

"We don't like you," a third spoke.

"I…can be Master, if you so wish," Winters said, confused. "I will accept mastery over you if that is God's will."

There was a slight pause before one of them spoke again. "Man is stupid."

"Master is our friend."

"Where's my Master? Pretty please?"

He's right here, the Doctor thought to himself. Making it right behind the Master, he was prepared to sling the key around his neck…

"Oh, all right then," the Master said as he stood up and walked to the front of the table, causing the Doctor to inwardly curse. "It's me. Ta-da! Sorry. Sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy!"

"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" Winters questioned.

The smile left the Master's face. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. Starting with _you._ Kill him."

At his command one of the spheres hovered over and fired a laser at the President, killing him by disintegration. Mayhem followed suit as everyone in the room flooded for the exits, all while the Master enjoyed watching the madness, laughing and clapping for a moment before instructing the guards to stop them and hold out their weapons.

The Doctor watched in anger as he was so, so close to exposing the Master to everyone. Him and his chaos. _That_ was the Master's true companion—him and his _madness._

The Master took the President's spot on the platform and spoke into a camera. "Now then, peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully."

That condescending grin plastered on the man's face and that was all it took for the Doctor to lunge forward in an attempt to get him…

"Stop him!"

Until a guard shouted and two others came up from behind and grabbed a hold of his arms, driving him down to his knees.

"We meet at last, Doctor," the Master said, the smile still on his face. "Oh, I love saying that!"

The Doctor tried to escape from the guards' holds, but failed. "Stop this! Stop it now!" he shouted desperately.

The Master scoffed. "As if a perception filter's gonna work on me." He looked around the room and stopped when he found Martha and Jack. "Oh, and look, it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which."

The Doctor glanced back to see Jack racing forward with his key but the Master whipped out a device and zapped him. He fell to the floor dead, and Martha immediately went to his side. "Laser screwdriver," he preened. "Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"

"Master, calm down. Just look at what you're doing, just stop!" the Doctor tried to reason, still trying to squirm out of the guards' hold. "Stop and think, it doesn't have to be this way. If you could just see yourself-"

The Master rolled his eyes and turned to the nearest camera. "Oh, do excuse me, little bit of personal business. Back in a minute." He glanced back over at him and instructed the guards. "Let him go."

On command they threw the Doctor to the ground and he stood on his knees. "It's that sound," he said. "The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

The Master moved down the steps. "Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane!" He took a seat on one of the bottom steps. "Professor Lazarus. Remember him? And his genetic manipulation device? Did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time." He lifted his device and twisted it. "And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver…but, oh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code." His eyes lit up. "Oh, wait a minute…I do!" He ran over to a silver case and opened it, and there was the severed hand. "I've got his hand!"

_"Doctor?"_ Rose suddenly came to his mind, but she sounded faint. _"What's going on? Where are you?"_

He remained silent.

"And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it?" The Master continued. "Another hundred years?"

Aiming the laser screwdriver at him, the Doctor screamed as he began to convulse. Off to the side Jack gasped back to life and found himself beside Martha. He noticed what was going on and inwardly cursed. This wasn't good.

Thinking quickly he handed Martha the vortex manipulator. "Teleport," he told her quietly.

"I can't," she told him with a shake of her head.

"We can't stop him," Jack said. "Get out of here. Get out."

Martha shook her head, tears forming in her eyes before she turned with him once the Doctor suddenly stopped screaming. They both stared at him, horrified by the sight. As he pushed himself to his knees they noticed how much more he aged. _Incredibly_ aged. His original dark sticky-uppy hair faded and fell out, leaving him bald with some grays on the sides. His skin was saggy as he looked far too old.

Martha ran over to his side and put her arms around him. "Doctor, I've got you."

"Aw, she's a would-be doctor," the Master said with a grin. "But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown 'em in all the way from prison-"

Just as he gestured at the doors on the other side of the room, they slid open as guards escorted Martha's family out. "Mum," she breathed out.

"I'm sorry," her mother said as she cried.

"The Toclafane," the Doctor said as he breathed heavily, his voice soft. "Who are they?" The Master leaned in closer and placed a hand behind his ear. "Who are they?" the Doctor repeated.

"Doctor, if I told you the truth…" the Master said with a false frown, placing a hand on the Doctor's chest. "Your hearts would break." Standing to his feet the spheres flew over to him, each asking various questions.

"Is it time?"

"Is it ready?"

"Is the machine singing?"

The Master looked at his watch. "Two minutes past." He took off to join Lucy at the top of the steps on the platform and looked out the window. "So! Earthlings. Basically, um, end of the world." He raised his screwdriver in the air. "Here…come…the drums!"

With that_ "Voodoo Child"_ blared over the speakers and flooded the room as am angry rift opened in the sky with thousands and thousands of the Toclafane bleeding through in whizzing swarms like raging wasps, descending down to the Earth.

"Six billion. Down you go, kids!" the Master shouted over the speaker as he watched with glee with his wife by his side. He spoke with her for a moment before shouting again. "Remove one-tenth of the population!"

Not much longer after the word messages starting coming through the radios from all across the country and on an even larger scale from around the world, desperate cries for help as innocent civilians were being slaughtered by the creatures, trying to get the _Valiant_ to descend from the skies above to aid them in the massacre. Little did they know that the ship was taken over by the madman responsible for all Hell being unleashed.

From where Jack stood he caught sight of the Doctor urgently whispering to Martha, who's face was glistening with continuous fresh tears. Whatever he told her made her nod before she stood up. She glanced over at him then at her family one last time before activating the vortex manipulator, disappearing from the madness. At least someone was able to get out of this mess. Jack glanced over at the Doctor and was wretched at the despair on his face. The Doctor was always a man of hope, but he was losing it with every second. And it worsened knowing Rose was still in captivity somewhere.

"Where is she?" The Doctor ground out. "Where's Rose? What've you done with my wife?"

"This again?" the other Time Lord complained. "And I thought that _she_was annoying up to a point when she constantly asked the same questions." He sighed. "You two really were made for each other, weren't you?"

"Where is my wife? Bring her to me!"

The Master sighed. "Alright, alright. Oh, you were so much more fun before you married a human." He tapped his screwdriver against his mouth and hummed. "Nah, what's a little more suspense going to do?"

The Doctor made a move to get up from the floor, but his body couldn't handle it as he sagged back down.

The Master laughed. "Sorry, gramps. Not so easy when you actually are your own age." He studied him. "As amusing as all of this is…I'll at least reward you with seeing her rather than bringing her here. The last thing I wanna see is you two acting all…" He made a surprised expression then turned it to false adoration as he placed his hands on his cheeks and made kissing sounds. He pulled a grimacing look. "Eugh, how disgusting is that? Though maybe if she saw what you look like, she'd turn away and heave."

"Let me see her," the Doctor said in a low voice.

The Master rolled his eyes. "Always impatient."

Walking over to the table he grabbed a remote and aimed it at one of the screens. A grainy black and white live surveillance video clip popped up, and both the Doctor and Jack's eyes widened when they saw the familiar blonde seated on a beat up old bed, chewing on her thumbnail. The Doctor had mentioned that the Master had abused her, and Jack could easily see the evidence; both eyes black and blue with bruises to her jaw and a split lip, pieces of cloth wrapped around her forearms stained with what could most likely be her blood from wounds. Her physique was thinner and weak, and her hair was long and matted, and although the picture wasn't colorized they could easily tell that her skin tone was much paler than usual.

Jack hated to think like this, but she just looked like death, and it pained him. Of course nothing could compare to what the Doctor was feeling.

The Doctor tried to steady his breathing as he saw the physical sight of his wife locked up in her cell, all bruised and ill. She was worse than he originally thought. What she showed him through their link was the kind sight, where in actuality she looked horrible. His hearts clenched when he saw her chewing on her nail. She was nervous and uncomfortable, and he didn't blame her. She needed to get out of there _now._

He turned to the Master. "Where is she? Let me see her!"

"You're looking right _at_ her," the Master said with a smile. "But if you want a sight, I can give you an even better one."

He strode over and heaved the Doctor off of the ground and dragged him away from the view of his wife and over to the window, a front row seat to witness Hell raining down from the sky.

"And so it came to pass…that the human race fell and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as master of all and I thought it…good."


	60. The Darkest Hour

**A/N: Hey, look, a really long chapter. And there's a Classic Who episode reference in here. Think you can find it?**

**Okay then. I'm gonna brace myself for the feedback after this one. ****Many thanks to you awesome reviewers and followers! You guys keep me going ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 60: The Darkest Hour**_

_Three months later_

Jack gasped back to life and found himself fallen to his knees with his wrists and ankles still chained to the machinery of the _Vailant._ If he remembered correctly—and he always did when it came to the newest cause of death—one of the guards had stabbed in the heart with some kind of weapon. A crowbar, maybe? Some kind of sharp pipe? Not that it mattered as he would end up in the bright white light for a few moments until in a rush he was brought back to the waking world. And it always hurt.

After the first bunch of times it became frequent, from the gunshots, falling off of a cliff, the fights, et cetera. The pain was horrible to the point where he wished he would've remained dead. Permanently, without any chance of waking up. But regardless of what he wanted he was stuck with this power, and would live eternally.

Despite it all he never hated Rose for doing such a thing to him. There would _never_ be anything in all of the definite worlds in existence to make him be upset with her. To be able to wield such power by absorbing the Time Vortex was still astounding to him. Rosie was so strong, and she was continuing to fight each day since she was taken away so long ago. Both she and the Doctor were, although the latter seemed less…responsive. The last time Jack saw him was roughly around the time they arrived on the aircraft, right before the Master used his laser screwdriver to age him dramatically and when those Toclafane shot down from the sky.

As he stood in the machinery room all he could wonder was how were they going to make it out of this. What could they come up with for a plan? When he gave Martha the vortex manipulator to allow her to escape, he caught the Doctor whispering something to her before she left. It had to be part of his plan, but Jack knew little to nothing about it. Unless…it was something to keep hush hush and to themselves until the time was right. However long it would take.

All he could think about was how his team was doing…wherever they were. Without a doubt they were more than perplexed by his sudden departure when last he saw them in Cardiff after the whole deal with Abbadon and reuniting with his friends: Gwen, Tosh, Ianto, and even Owen. He remembered what Gwen asked him before he left, wondering what would've tempted him to open the rift. His response was clear—the right kind of doctor. And that's when the Doctor's severed hand began to glow followed by that familiar whooshing noise echoing across the Hub.

That was three months ago. Never did he think he'd find himself _here._

Behind the smoke exiting from a piece of machinery came The Master with his screwdriver between his fingers. "Ooh, we've brought a toy," Jack said. "How do you expect to use it?"

The Master smiled. "Your crude double entendres are losing their edges and humor," he commented.

Jack shrugged. "They usually make me go really far—to the moon and back. So, why the unexpected visit? I'm not one to receive such company other than your lackies here."

"And I'm sure you've loved every moment of it, haven't you?" the Master said, stepping up to him. "How does it always feel, captain? To continuously die? Pleasant? Annoying? Monotonous?"

Jack studied the Time Lord. "I guess you can call it an adrenaline rush," he answered.

The Master brought his screwdriver up and tapped it against his lips. "The thrill of another kill. I can see how amusing that must feel for you."

And then in a flash he held out his screwdriver and aimed it at his chest, flipping it on. A burning pain shot through Jack's chest as he screamed, feeling as if he was being prodded with a poker twisting at his nerves. A buzzing sound filled his ears before everything went white again. There was nothing else around him until the blackness swirled in, dissolving the white and bringing him back with a gasp.

"Well, that's done and over with…for now," the Master said before wiggling his fingers at him. "Hello again." Jack opened his mouth to say something but soon he was met with more pain in his chest when the Time Lord aimed the screwdriver at him again, sending him swimming back into the white light.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Rose lay flat on her back on her bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling—along with another cracked rib after the disciplining she received, with him kicking her in the side while throwing her to the ground. It was another wound that wasn't as cruel, surprisingly, like some of the others the Master's done ever since the Toclafane were unleashed.

Three months since the Doctor returned from the end of the universe, and she was still in the same predicament. It was now going on nearly two years for her. Two years in Hell.

At first when all of the chaos began with those creatures, a painful buzz filled her mind, like something was irritating the TARDIS and making Her feel unwell. The churning sensation still lingered in her system to this day. Almost like a…paradox? She honestly wasn't entirely sure since the Master's clammed himself up from spilling out his plans, but it had something to do specifically with the Toclafane, she could feel it. It was wrong. They shouldn't even exist. Now they were slaughtering poor innocent lives mercilessly, slicing and dicing them up and leaving them for dead. The worst was knowing exactly who they were—all of those poor refugees that were looking for a better life.

Of course the Doctor was still blaming himself for all of this happening, and she never did. Despite being annoyed and angry with the fact that she was still in imprisonment, she never thought any of this was his fault. It was all a series of unfortunate events. Even the TARDIS said that, and She knew what She was talking about. But that was the nature of the Doctor—he would always take the fall for everything and add another bundle of guilt on his towering pile. Even though she was taking away most of his pain each and every day, a whole new group was coming upon him.

When she gave in and showed him some of the things the Master had done to her in her captivity she easily felt his fury of his old arch enemy abusing her, but then she felt the usual culpability waving through him. He was the Doctor, and that's what he did—regret. But none of this would go without having a plan being set up.

From what limited information she's been receiving she knew that Martha had mysteriously disappeared from the madness as the Master would continue to suspect some kind of conspiracy amongst them in an attempt to bring him to his ultimate downfall. Truthfully, she imagined that's what was happening at this moment, but she wasn't part of the plan. All she could do was continue to sit in her dank cell and watch footage of the slaughtering and enslavement occurring around the world.

She had a pretty good idea of what Martha had done—used Jack's vortex manipulator to land on Earth, getting away from the madness but trudging through it on the ground. What she was exactly doing was a whole other thing since she was unaware of her actions, but she was probably helping others wherever she was. She was brilliant, after all. But what was their plan?

Jack had been taken as a prisoner and to her knowledge, the Master has been killing him multiple times, taking advantage of the captain's immortality. The madman's usual methods with him were similar to those of the ones he ha performed on her, but he would constantly gloat about stabbing the man in the heart with some kind of tool, or just zapping him with the laser screwdriver. Each time she was told her friend died, it pained her. She was the one who bestowed that upon Jack back on the Game Station on Satellite 5. He had admitted that he wanted to doe permanently countless times, and he most likely was wishing for it to happen now.

And then came the situation with the Doctor, and her heart broke a little more each day.

When he first arrived she immediately felt a faint wave through their bond, but he kept himself locked up. She hated when he would do that, but she had done it many a times to him so it was bound to happen again. But she was desperate to communicate with him now…or to just see him in person. On one occasion the Master came down to her cell and showed her a picture he had taken of her husband's state…and her heart broke again. He was an old man, too weak to barely stand up without falling to the ground. And the bastard had done that to him.

As if she didn't want to tear him apart even more. She didn't want anything to happen to her Doctor. She'd rather the Master use her as the pet, the toy to take his frustrations out on or just to please his sick, twisted mind. It sounded pretty much like she was at the end of tether by how desperate she felt, but no one would do such things to her husband. Though he himself would be fuming if he knew of her thoughts.

Trying to connect through their bond was difficult as he seemed to be straining himself, and when something finally came, it was faint. She felt the moment he, Jack, and Martha had arrived via the vortex manipulator and then the distress waving over the Doctor when the Toclafane were released from the sky. But he kept her locked out. She questioned it, but figured it was for the best—even if she hated it. One thing she _was_ able to hear was something about using the Archangel Network. He never explained what he was trying to do, but that's all she caught. It was like hypnosis, but how was the Doctor going to use it?

Not only did he tell her that he was trying to use that as their escape—without the details—but whenever he could he'd always send her his apologies, to which she would tell him to stop taking blame for everything that had happened when it wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one who purposely made himself age dramatically, or the one to summon impossible creatures that were from bedtime stories, or the one who had abused her thoroughly with blunt instruments and both hands. That was all by the Master's doing, and not the Doctor's.

But he wasn't giving up, and neither was she.

Every day seemed to be getting darker, but there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel—their escape from this, coming out of this alive and reunited, she could feel it. They've taken the punches, taken the mockery, and whatever else the Master threw at them with force, but it was nothing but fuel. A determining flame burning inside of them pushing them to never give up or never give in, no matter how cruel or cowardly.

Shifting in the bed and wincing at the pain in her side from her fractured rib, Rose stared at her pale, thin wrist where her bracelet remained intact. There were still no dents or scuff marks from the continuous thermal energy being shot out from the Master's laser screwdriver in attempts to melt the precious accessory. It was whole and shining in the darkness of the room. That psycho may have broken her skin and bones, but he'd never break her and the Doctor's love and faith in each other.

Nothing would tear them apart, not a situation as traumatic as the current one they were in.

The outer door creaked open and once again, she wasn't the smallest bit surprised by who entered. "Now what?" she asked in an annoyed tone. "You were just here two hours ago."

"I was famished, so I decided to have a quick meal with my wife," the Master answered casually as he sauntered over to her cell, opening the door before patting his hands on his belly. "Can't construct an interrogation on an empty stomach. I was about to take a quick kip, but thought this would be more important."

Rose snorted. "Thought Time Lords didn't need much sleep. Boy, you're getting restless."

"No rest for the wicked," he said with a smile as he motioned for two other guards to come out of the darkness and join him. Taking out his screwdriver he aimed it at her cuffs, hesitating before unlocking them. He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm sure you'll think before I let you go. We wouldn't want a repeat of the unfortunate incident from earlier, would we?"

"I'll try to restrain myself," she answered coldly.

He sighed and shook his head. "Still so inflexible. Honestly, I was feeling accomplished for a while, but you're starting to lower my self esteem."

"The matter, your ego not as big as you think?"

He grasped her jaw. "You know better than to speak to me that way. What'll it take for you to comprehend something so simple as manners? How bout if I shot a bullet through your precious little skull? Right here, right now?" Rose stiffened a little at his threat until her released her hard. "There we go," he said calmly. "In time you'll understand - though we've spent so much time together I'd expect you to have enough brainpower to be able to obey your Master's orders. No matter. As the new world turns, some changes could be made if necessary."

Keeping her cuffs around her ankles he motioned for the guards to haul her up from where she sat. They complied as they dragged her out of the room, leading her down the corridor down to the interrogation room. The path was familiar since she's been in there quite frequently in the past three months, as was the same end result. Sliding out her chair the guards threw her down in it while the Master stood beside her.

"We've got some more to chit-chat about," he said as he placed her hands over the slots on the table, strapping her wrists with the cuffs connected to the piece.

"And I'm sure you'll have the same result," she told him.

He stopped and reached a hand out, running a finger over her bracelet. "You and your husband share far too many qualities. But you'll eventually crack."

Letting go of her he raised his hand to turn on the lamp hanging above her head, the blinding light burning her eyes as she shut them. For twenty-one months she's been confined to darkness and dimmed lighting, and the rays casting from the lamp always stung more every time she was brought here.

"Now then," he began, pacing around behind her. "I know we've gone over this routine on a daily basis, but it seems as if you are failing basic protocols here, so I'll start off simple. What is your husband planning?"

She rolled her eyes. This spiel was old, and he was always persistent. "I already told you he hasn't told me anything."

"And I've told _you_ that that's a load of rubbish," he retorted as he continued to walk around behind her, his closeness making her cringe. "There's not many topics the two of you can talk about. And I highly doubt that you're conversing through your bond about your—" he gestured with his fingers, emphasizing his next words, "—'marital affairs'." He scoffed. "Oh, it really makes one hope for a gag reflex."

Rose chuckled. "Funny…I've the same reaction with you."

His hand made its way into her hair, craning her neck back to look up at him. "Usually I'd let some of your snide comments slip but as I am your ruler, I'm sick and tired of having to deal with your constant disobedience."

"That so?" she replied, before glancing over at the guards standing off to the side in the darkness. "Say, don't you think he looks tired?"

With a low growl of frustration the Master moved to stand by her side, his hand still gripping her hair as he slapped her cheek with the opposite one. "You know better than to make a fool outta me—"

"No, _you_ do that all by yourself."

Another slap. Her cheek was numbing again as the bruise left on her jaw became aggravated. Her eyes remained shut as he pulled her head back to gaze into the blinding light.

"What have you two been babbling about?" he demanded.

"I told you, he's said nothing to me!" Rose yelled irritably.

"Where's Martha Jones? Where has your associate gone off to?"

"How should I know?"

His grip tightened as he leaned in closer, his face inches away from hers. "WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?"

"I TOLD YOU I DUNNO!" Rose shouted back angrily. "God, and you think _I'm_ thick. How many times do you have to get that through your skull?

"Don't try that on me," he hissed, straightening up. "I've been around for a long time just like your husband, and I know conspiracies when I see one. The longer you stay here, the more work you put into your plan. You're just waiting it out."

Rose sighed. "And you say that I have bad mornings."

He smacked her again. "Listen you little bitch, if you don't give me any answers—"

"You'll what?" Rose challenged. "Threaten me? That's nothing new. You've been throwing those at me for a while. Whatever Martha's doing out there isn't of any concern to you. She's far away from here—from you—so why are you worrying about her?" She arched an eyebrow. "You're afraid?"

"Me, afraid?" he mocked.

"Underneath your power is a cowering man that will eventually fall down hard. However it'll happen is unknown to all of us, but something's coming to get you."

"Shut your mouth!" The Master shouted as he yanked her head back as he released his grip from her hair, a small cracking sound created. He grabbed his laser screwdriver and aimed it at her arm, the heat already radiating off of it. "I have no reason to be afraid of a puny Earth girl, or some handsome Time Agent that can die in the drop of a hat over and over again, or even a man who has interfered with my plans countless times over the years." He leaned in close again, his eyes moving over her face. "And especially not of some lowly ape who claims to be a some kind of wolf with gifted powers."

Rose suppressed a grin. He belittled the entire human race, thinking they were powerless and merely just ants crawling on the ground waiting to be stepped on or burned by the sun. What he lacked in knowledge was that no was no such thing as an ordinary human being, and that each and every one of them held something special inside of them, even if they didn't realize it.

"You know no good will come out of this," she told him. "This is only ending up in pain and loss."

"Oh, you're quite the killjoy," the Master complained. "You'd think I'd be used to your constant mood dampening, but it starts to make a man feel so…unworthy. And I am anything but that." He twirled his screwdriver between his fingers. "I've risen to power—not just in the country, but the whole world. I've achieved so much, so I have every right to be happy. In fact, I'm just like—" He grinned widely, which to Rose made him look like one of those creepy dolls whose face would haunt nightmares. Not a pretty sight. "And nothing will make me happier than if you were to just grant me one last wish."

Rose snorted. "What am I, a genie now?"

He chuckled. "Why would I need a genie when I'm the God of all of these people? I've got everything I've ever wanted—that's all that matters. I know for a fact that my happiness is always being tested and crushed by your husband. But no more." Walking over to the opposite side of the table he placed his palms flat on the surface and leaned forward. "Now, come on, Rose. We've known each other for a while now, and I'm just trying to be the nice guy here. Tell me, and be honest, what have you and the Doctor been planning? And don't say that not even the slightest mention of the topic hadn't come up."

Rose shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said casually. "But there's nothing. And even if there was, you'd actually expect me to tell _you?_ And you can do whatever method you want with me, whether it's hit me to the point where I'm crying on the floor curled up in a ball, burn me with your laser screwdriver until I bleed and scar, spew degrading words at me, or just simply taunt me—you'll never get anything out of me."

The look that appeared on the Master's face wasn't a pretty one at all. He was fuming. Domination was his one true virtue, and after all of his abuse and control over her, he wasn't breaking her. He may have bruised her and left his marks, but she wasn't bowing down to his power. And he knew that. It was why he always tried to poison her mind, to try manipulating her thoughts to make her believe that no hope was left. Although she was still in a sticky situation with the Doctor and Jack imprisoned as well, and Martha nowhere around, she still believed that there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel she's been living in for the past twenty-one months.

And he would never be able to take that away from her.

He pursed his lips and bowed his head, a scowl forming on his face. What came next was the usual punishment.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor sat in an incredibly uncomfortable chair in a dark and empty room, which only aggravated his back more to the point where he'd rather be seated on the floor. But given as this turned into an interrogation room, he lost all ability to be comfortable.

How he hated being old…in the physical sense with his appearance. Having older bodies over the years would make him feel crabby at times, but none of them were ever like this. It was worse than the time he was forcibly aged and made decrepit on the Leisure Hive of Argolis so long ago. But that was when he was younger, and only aged five hundred years. What he had now was an actual _nine_ hundred year old body. Definitely nothing comfortable. And then the humility of having to crawl out of a tent like an animal added to it. But what he hated even more was how his wife was still left in confinement, and he made the situation worse than it already was.

Horrifying messages would pour through the radio every once in a while of people who have yet to become slaves, but would be greeted by death from the Toclafane. The Master had said that his hearts would break once he found out what the creatures were, and they did; they were all of the refugees back at the end of the universe. Once they were sent up to Utopia via the rocket they each had to be converted into the metallic spheres, and it sickened him. He had promised those poor people hope for a better life, to turn away from the darkness that they were currently living in. If only he would've known he was putting them to death.

The paradox machine was intact, as part of the Master's plan, as the spheres killed their past ancestors without allowing the entire universe to collapse. His magnificent ship was in so much pain, he could feel it…somewhat. His connection to Her was barely there, almost like a ghost, just as it's been since he first arrived. Only now it worsened. But even if there was a chance of getting through to Her it wouldn't get him anywhere.

And then there was his connection with Rose. It proved to be difficult to communicate with her at times, mostly because he was feeling weak, but he would try to speak with her as often as possible. There wasn't anyone around foreign to have a chat with other than the Master, and that was never anything to look forward to. Every day he had to see that man's condescension, and it infuriated him. If he wasn't confined to a wheelchair he would've stood up and punched him square in the face for everything. Especially for what he did to _Rose._

As if eighteen months wasn't bad enough for her to be a captive, but an additional three months was added to it. Nearly two years for her. How the hell was she able to remain sane throughout this mayhem? That's just it, she was _strong._ He always stressed that and it couldn't be any more true than it already was. But it was reassuring that she was like that. He needed all the sanity he could get in a time like this.

He felt so ashamed that it had come to this. The least the Master could do was make him see her in person, and not just on the surveillance camera. Having to see her in such a state pained him, but having to sit there defenseless and forced to watch his wife be beaten by the psychopath set him off. On many occasions the Doctor had actually made a move to stand on his feet, successfully he should add, and attempted to get his hands on the Master, but of course the other man was stronger and younger so all he had to do was punch him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Like any of that would get him anywhere.

But he wasn't giving in. Not now. He had a plan, and it involved the Archangel Network. He had brought it up with Rose, but he never went into detail with his plan. He knew the Master would continue interrogating her about their 'conspiracy', but he assured her that she'll be safe. She's been through enough, and he promised her that much.

The door bust open, not even budging the Doctor as he slumped in his chair. "Morning, gramps," the Master greeted in a pleasant voice. The Doctor didn't respond. "Oh, come on, not even a 'hello'? How rude. At least your wife has the courtesy greeting me. 'Course she chooses other words, but it's the thought that counts."

"You're not worth my time," the Doctor replied.

The other Time Lord chuckled. "On the contrary, you're worth all of _mine_…up to a point. Both you _and_ your wife, that is."

The Doctor curled his fingers, balling them up into fists as the cuffs pressed hard into his skin. "I've told you before, she has _nothing_ to do with you. Just let her go."

The Master sucked in a breath and hummed. "Still don't like the sound of that. Not very fun." He reached a hand out and patted the Doctor's cheek. "You've always been tons of fun over the years. Now…" he moved to stand at the front of the table and leaned forward. "Where is your associate, Miss Martha Jones?"

"Ways away from you," the Doctor responded.

"Funny, your wife said the same thing. Do I hint at some sort of conspiracy again?"

The Doctor snorted. "Aren't you thorough. Do I sense some fear?"

The Master grabbed a hold of the Doctor's jacket lapels and roughly pulled him forward with a growl. "What are you planning?" he demanded. "What have you and your wife been talking about through your bond? Don't tempt me to use raw aggression as a means to try getting it out of you both."

"You can try all you want, but the end result will always be the same, so I'd say that this whole thing is a waste of time."

He shoved the Doctor back into the chair, sending pain up his spine from the force. Apparently his wheelchair wasn't good enough, so he was forced to sit in this uncomfortable piece of furniture.

"What. Are. You. Planning?" the Master ground out slowly. The Doctor remained silent as he shook his head and shrugged in response, earning himself a hard slap against the cheek that nearly sent him out of the rackety chair. "I'm not a patient man. I've been this whole time, but I want answers. Now."

"Sorry," the Doctor said. "You won't be getting any from me."

That wasn't what the Master wanted to hear as he unleashed his anger out on him by force, kicking his chair over and knocking him on the floor. Yes, it was painful, but at least he was on the receiving end of the abuse and not Rose.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Harry, just sit down and relax," Lucy said calmly as she sat in her bed and watched as the Master paced around, muttering to himself.

He chuckled. "Relax," he repeated derisively. "I'm in no mood to do such a thing." He turned to face her. "And none of your wanton charms will work on me at the moment."

"Just…come over here," she suggested. "You've a lot on your mind and have to lay down."

"I'm not gonna lay down!" he shouted angrily, jabbing his finger in the air behind him. "All of my hard work is flourishing outside in the whole entire world, and the worst threat of my life is in my custody possibly conspiring to strip me of my power. And you expect me to just lay about as if nothing's the matter? You're completely _pathetic,"_ he spat harshly.

Silly human pet. So _delusional._

"You're afraid," Lucy assumed. "It's okay to—"

"You think I'm _afraid?"_ he said, whipping around to face her.

She blinked a few times, her eyes widening. "N-no, not like…not in that way—"

"Then in _what_ way exactly, my _dear?"_ He said curtly as he advanced on her, coming to stand beside her on the bed with his towering height.

Lucy noticeably swallowed hard as he glared daggers at her. This woman was his wife, his precious little pet. That implied this She would always be there to support him and help him out. And what was she doing? Making assumptions about how he feels toward the Doctor and Rose…or any of the others associated with them. How wonderful is that.

"Just that…" she trailed off and bit her lip, avoiding his gaze.

He raised his brows. "What, you think I'm afraid of the Doctor? Of his wife?" He laughed out loud. "Oh, that's rich!"

"I've noticed how aware—"

"Shut your mouth," he snarled as he cupped her mouth, silencing her words, crouching in front of her. "Don't you _ever_ think that I'm scared of someone I've known for my whole life, or his lady. They're nothing to me. They're defenseless at the moment." He narrowed his eyes at her. "What, you think that I've been questioning them all this time because I'm paranoid?" Lucy shook her head quickly, but didn't speak as his hand was kept over her mouth. "I've got nothing to fear," he told her. "I'm the ruler of this world, and nothing will get in my way of my glory."

Releasing her with a push he adjusted his tie as he rolled his neck around. It didn't matter who they were considering they were grounded now. He could continue to punish them for everything they've done. Especially Rose.

"But…" Lucy spoke up after a moment. "The Bad Wolf…"

He whirled around. "What _about_ her?"

"What if…what if she interferes?"

The Master chuckled. "Lucy, darling, she is of no worry to my reign of power. She's merely just a little friend to chat with on a daily basis."

Lucy shook her head. "No, I mean…she's this all-powerful force, that's what you told me. You said she was supposedly a goddess."

He rolled his eyes. "You take things too literal. Yes, she may be capable of wielding such power to do impossible things, but she has no power here. Much like her husband. Neither one of them will get in the way of my achievements."

"Then if you think they're defenseless and have no chance of interfering any more, why do you keep interrogating?" Lucy asked.

He bit the inside of his cheek. "Because…" he trailed off. He supposed the simple and expected answer was that it added more to the enjoyment of watching the Doctor and Rose being his prisoners. Was there really a reason to keep either of them alive? Well, he needed more people around to witness his greatness, and it satisfied his pleasures. Surely he'd love to continue gloating in the Doctor's face. After all of these years he's been the one tarnishing all of the brilliant plans of domination, and for once he wouldn't stop him. He won this time. He came ahead and won the game he's been playing.

But what about Rose? Did she _really_ have to be here?

Having her as his company for nearly two years has been a thrill but she was, to be honest, starting to get annoying. Okay, she's been giving him the gears since he first took her with him, but it was all fun and games then. Granted it was still amusing to see her cuffed up and beaten to the point of requiring stitches, but her spectacular healing factor managed to get in the way of her injuries. So _special_ she was. But he's yet to test the full extent of her abilities…

In her duration she's been nothing but bait, in a sense, for the Doctor to find him. And he did, and he's had his greatest adversary in his custody for three months. Prior to arriving on the Valiant the Doctor was clearly enraged by the fact that his wife had taken slight discipline due to her stubbornness and snide remarks. Now though he seemed pretty quiet, as he should be.

He grinned wickedly, imagining the look on the Doctor's face if something worse were to happen to his precious wife…

"Harry?" Lucy broke him out of his musings.

He blinked a few times before reaching for her hand. "It's all working out. There's no need to worry."

_Dadada dum dadada dum dadada dum._

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

About one hour later the Master had sauntered his way back over to Rose's cell, finding her exiting her en suite with her ankles still joined. She rolled her eyes the moment she saw him. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she said.

"What, I can't visit my good friend every so often?" he said innocently as he unlocked her door and stepped through.

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "You know you _do_ have a wife to look after. Give her more attention, I'm sure she actually looks _forward_ to it."

The Master smiled as he stood in front of her. "Lucy gets a lot of my attention in ways I wouldn't dare perform with you."

"Charming."

"She will always be looked after." He studied her before adding. "Much like your husband doing the same for you."

"Where is he?" Rose asked, an angry look in her eyes. "Bring him here, let me see him."

The Master sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, how many times do we have to go over this?" he complained. "I allow you to see him every day—"

"As a picture," she interrupted. "I wanna see him in _person."_

"You sure?" He said, squinting his eyes and tilting his head. "'Cause it's not a pretty sight in person either. In fact he looks exceptionally worse than in the picture. Don't think you'll fancy your husband any more. And you…" he raised a hand and smacked her cheek, a stern expression on his face. "You interrupted me again. How many times do we have to go over that again? Honestly—"

The Master was taken aback when Rose raised her own hand and whacked him hard with a right hook to his face, connecting with his brow. How had he forgotten that he had unlocked her cuffs earlier? Must not have been in his right mind. Bending over he placed a finger over the spot, feeling it burn. Odd…but completely out of line. Apparently the weak little wolf had plenty of fighting left inside of her system. This certainly would _not_ do. Straightening up his brows shot up at her.

"So feisty," he said with a wicked grin. "Seems as though you've been waiting so long for that."

"Let me see my husband. _Now,"_ she demanded.

He scoffed. "Or what? What could—"

She made a move to punch him again but this time he expected it and caught her by the wrist, gripping tightly. Before she could try another stunt he grabbed her opposite one and spun her around, pinning her hard against the concrete wall. She was still putting up a fight to wiggle out of his grasp but she was stuck. Not as strong as she thought. Then she thrust her knee into his gut then right between his legs. He let out a grunt but managed to keep his grip dimly on her wrists and pressed his body against her to prevent her from escaping.

He leaned in closer, his face inches away. "Obviously you think you're so smart and slippery, trying to pull a fast one on me," he snarled. "You'll wanna remember everything that's happened to you in the past twenty-one months, and the risks you're taking by initiating something far beyond your alleged power."

"And you should remember that I've told you before that I'm not afraid of you," Rose shot back. "I've dealt with far worse than you."

The Master felt his lips twitch. "I believe I could top the others…you'll see."

He moved his eyes over her face one last time before spinning her back around and pushing her forcefully down onto her bed. Not even bothering to lock her cuffs back on her wrists he made his way out of her cell. Glancing up at her she shot him a glare and flicked him off. Oh, she was definitely in for it.

This ape, this filthy whore of a woman couldn't be broken. She was too strong for him to deal with. Every hit he threw she would get back up and take it willingly, adding fuel to the fire. Every time he tried to get inside of her head she would chew him up and spit him back out as if he were trash. Worthless. She may have had a strong tenacity to let him know she still had hope for her precious Doctor and the world to be saved, but it was too late.

Especially for her.

Walking to the exit the Master walked past to the guard with a hand on his chest, tapping the continuous rhythm. The code.

_Dadada dum dadada dum._

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The Doctor was seated by the window of the aircraft, looking down at the mayhem going on down below. Miles and miles away lifeless bodies of innocent people piled each other, rotting or completely sliced like slabs of meat. The thought only made him sicker, but he would always be forced to see the destruction played out before him. The destruction he caused. The sound of footsteps coming into the room got his attention, but he didn't turn around to see who it was. He knew. That was until he heard the voice.

"Really, boys? You know these handcuffs could be used for better uses than for right now. If you want, I can show you how to later."

Turning his head the Doctor saw that Jack had been taken in the room for some reason, his wrists and ankles bounded by cuffs while two guards led him over to the side. It's been a while since he's seen the captain, and he wasn't looking well. Dark smudges of soot and dirt covered his face and he was shining with sweat, his clothes torn and shredded in certain parts. There was a chance that the Master had locked him up in the engineering room with all the equipment.

The Doctor exchanged a look with him, taking in the other's appearance. Yeah, they both looked horrible. Or…at least Jack had looked better than_he_ did. At least he wasn't an old man with the worst aches and pains everywhere.

As if that wasn't enough, Martha's family came in all of a sudden—her mother, father, and sister—each looking worse for wear as well. A crease formed on his brows. What was going on? Why were all of the prisoners being released? If everyone was being taken out, did that mean Rose would be next? His stomach shook. Rassilon, he hoped he would get to see her in person and not on a screen via surveillance cameras.

The Master and his wife came in through the side double doors, walking arm-in-arm. As always the blonde appeared neutral with a look of pride in her 'husband', but it was a mask hiding his she truly felt. Deep down she was afraid of that man, but she didn't have the courage to stand up for herself. The result of the Master's hypnotic and misleading nature.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he called out. "I'm so glad you all could be here to witness an act of purity."

Purity? Surely he couldn't be thinking about redeeming himself for every cruel action he's ever done. It couldn't be that simple for a man like the Master to suddenly have a change in hearts. Not with ones as empty and blackened as his. What game was he playing at?

"Now," the Master began, releasing his arm from his wife's as he pressed his palms together, walking across the open floor. "I'll bet you're all wondering why I've brought you all here—"

"This isn't all of us," Jack commented hard from the side.

"Where's Rose?" the Doctor rasped from his wheelchair, somehow managing to turn it around. "You've brought everyone else up here, why?"

The Master shook his head. "Oh, don't worry. You'll find out shortly, but hopefully you won't have to make it come to that."

"Bring my wife up here!" the Doctor demanded.

"Is there anything else you wanna tell me, Doctor?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Your _plan,"_ the other man said with seriousness as he stepped over to tower over him. "I know you're hiding something, so spill it out. What is your _plan?"_

"I told you I have nothing to tell you," the Doctor replied.

The Master tilted his head. "You sure you don't wanna rethink that? I mean…" he sucked in a breath. "Quick decisions can lead to serious consequences."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at him. "What're you playing at?"

An innocent look crossed his face. "Me? I've nothing to hide." He walked over to the large table in the center of the room and picked up a remote. "In fact…you're probably wondering about the real reason why I've brought you all here, so instead of telling you every detail, allow me to show you."

He flicked on the large television screen to the live surveillance camera…and the Doctor stiffened in his chair while his hearts began to pound rapidly in his chest, almost to the point where they could've burst straight out of his chest and onto the floor. It showed Rose standing in her cell in front of the camera, a gag strapped across her mouth while her arms and legs were spread out wide with cuffs around her wrists and ankles connected to chains in the walls. A single guard stood beside her…with a gun loaded in his hand.

The Doctor was sure his hearts dropped like lead weights at the sight.

"I didn't wanna have to resort to such desperate measures," the Master said with false regret. "But since neither of you wish to talk, you've left me no choice. Not to mention that she attacked me earlier today." He tsked. "That was definitely _not_ a road she should've crossed."

"Please," the Doctor pleaded as he leaned forward in his wheelchair, almost falling out of it as his breathing increased. "Please, Master, don't do this!"

The Master laughed. "Would you look at that? A man who was an alleged God nearly falling to his knees and _begging. _All for a _human."_

"She has nothing to do with you, don't do this!" the Doctor cried. "You can do whatever you want with me, I don't care, just leave her out of this!"

"And why would I do that?" the Master questioned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator. "Take aim."

On the screen the guard shifted until he was standing in front of Rose, the gun pointed directly at her heart.

"No no no no no, please!" the Doctor said, his stomach trembling, the fear easily radiating off of her.

"Tell me your plan, Doctor," the Master told him. "Or else your precious wife is no more."

"Master, _please,_ I'm begging you, just leave her out of this," he said, already feeling a tug in his hearts. "She has nothing to do with the bitterness between us. Whatever we've got only concerns _us._ None of these other people have a history with you, they're just innocent bystanders. And so is Rose. You can do anything you want to me, but I'm asking properly…please don't hurt her, _please."_

_"Doctor."_

The broken sound of Rose's voice came faintly in his mind, and it ached. She was afraid while at the same time still managed to try keeping her composure. Staring at the screen he was able to make out the tears filling up her eyes despite the fuzzy black and white filter. The gun was pressed all the way firmly against her chest and she shook.

"So sweet," the Master commented.

The Doctor moved his eyes over to him, gripping onto the rests of his wheelchair with all of his strength. "Master, please. If you have even one_shred_ of mercy left inside of you, just stop this."

The Master studied him for a moment before lifting his communicator. "Too late. Fire."

Rose came back into his mind again. _"I love you, Doctor. I'm so_—_"_

Her sentence was cut off once two shots were fired piercing straight through her heart, the gasping sounds coming from Martha's family combined with the shots were barely registered by the Doctor over his horrifying cries.

Clamping his eyes shut tight as he wailed in agony he felt the blast transferred into him, stabbing at both of his own hearts. He fell out of his wheelchair and hit the ground hard and grasped his chest tight as the pain shot through him like a scalding burn. Then he felt their bond shattering—literally. Like broken glass it splintered and cracked before exploding in his mind, a searing line of heat pulsing in his mind. Blurry reels flashed through his mind of both him and his wife. Bowing his head until it rested against the floor's surface, he gritted his teeth and let out another cry, and then…nothing. A silent buzzing filled his ears as his body trembled from the after effects, leaving him feel numb. Where Rose's presence used to be was now a large gaping hole.

His wife was gone.

"You bastard!" Jack hollered from where he stood in the room before the sound of whirring followed by the captain's screams filled the room.

Still with his eyes closed and his head still bowed the Doctor tried to stifle a whimper from escaping him, but he had no more strength. Rose faded away from his mind. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't do…anything.

The Master came to crouch beside the Doctor, a look of pity on his face. Just watching him curl up into a helpless ball on the floor after the death of his wife was absolutely amusing. He brought this on himself. It didn't have to be this way, but he was just as stubborn as his wife. It was inevitable.

He sighed. "Shame. A bullet to the _head_ would cause _much_ more trauma on both ends…but either way it doesn't matter, I suppose." He shook his head. "Humans. They're just so…_disposable_. And incredibly naive. Having only one life and they end up putting themselves in the most dangerous situations, as if they're always begging to be killed. But, it's fascinating, Doctor. She went out with dignity, and fought all the way until the end. And yet here _you_ are—_mourning._ Never thought I'd see such a thing. But then again, that's what happens when you _bond_ with a human. Advanced or not, they wither in the end. How about that…just like the traditional human wedding—'til death do we part'. But with this case, it's more than that. As one falls into a deep sleep in death, the other suffers greatly in life. As it should be. It's a much better ending, wouldn't you say?"

Turning to look over his shoulder he was met with the Jones family holding each other close, horrified expressions on their faces, while Captain Jack lay motionless on the ground. Even Lucy looked completely shocked by what had transpired. He inwardly rolled his eyes. Like she really didn't expect this to happen? He gestured at the guards to take away all of the witnesses and haul them back into their cells. Standing to his feet the Master left the Doctor to wallow in despair and exited the room with Lucy. He smiled widely. Any and all fears of what that supposedly powerful woman could do died along with her.

Unbeknownst to everyone a wolf was howling somewhere in the distance.


	61. Waking Up the Wolf

**A/N: ****Is it evil that I took pleasure in all of the freaked out responses from the previous chapter? I couldn't help it, I just did. Now here's where it gets complicated. At least to me. ****Much love to all of you lovely viewers!**

* * *

_**Chapter 61: Waking Up the Wolf**_

Having her vision be blank as if she was wrapped in a black blanket Rose stirred out of her slumber with a groan, a slight pain lingering in her chest. At first she was disoriented and unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes peeked open…and she concluded that she still had no idea where she was.

She was standing in a room, or at least what she _thought_ was a room. From what she could tell it wasn't a prison or some kind of secluded area. Although…she couldn't see any windows or doors around, and it was completely dark. Probably another cell. Unlike all of her other cells though, she felt warmth. A somewhat comfortable one at that, which was odd considering she hasn't felt something like that in a while. Up ahead was nothing. Only darkness.

But she honestly didn't recall any guards hauling her out of her cell to be put in another one. Unless they knocked her out cold again. It was common for that to happen, so she wouldn't be surprised. Lifting her hands she felt an odd static-y feeling tingling her fingertips. Blinking her eyes rapidly she felt them burning, almost like they were on fire but it didn't feel…painful. In fact the only thing that hurt her was her head and her chest. She didn't have to strain them as she glanced around, taking in the total blackness. Almost instantaneously, though, the darkness morphed and took a new shape, forming a cylindrical tunnel. Her eyes widened. This couldn't be…

She couldn't be _dead,_ could she? She was able to use all of her senses; she could see—even though it was dark, she could feel the static tingling her fingers, hear a buzzing in her ears, and smell…the bland air. But something felt…off. This was a dream, it had to be.

The area was somewhat ambiguous as there wasn't much to offer, giving off a vast atmosphere that felt very like floating on clouds. Maybe this_was_ all a dream, it had to be. Right? A faint humming sound came to her, but she had thought that it was only her mind creating it. Was it? Then she noticed a light appearing in the far distance and she swallowed hard. Oh, this wasn't good. She demurred before finally taking a slow step forward, barely feeling the ground beneath her.

_"Closer."_

A chill shot down her spine at the sound of a voice. Wait a minute…that sounded like the TARDIS? Approaching the light she found herself standing in another room, one consisting of golden walls and energy waves swirling around in the air. Craning her neck she saw it was pretty confined.

A whooshing sound like faint whispers of howls came from above and the next thing Rose knew was that she was staring at another person—at herself. It was almost like her reflection, only it was wearing a knee length baggy beige tunic and matching trousers. Her hair consisted of curly blonde waves with an accessory dangling on the left side.

"You're…me," she commented.

The other her nodded. "Of course I am." She even had her voice, but not her accent. "Who else were you expecting?"

Okay, now she _knew_ this was a dream. Either that or she was finally driven to insanity.

"You have no such disease," the other her said. "And this is not a dream, it's real."

Then she realized the small specks of gold flickering in her eyes. "Wait a minute…you're the _Bad Wolf."_

"That I am," Bad Wolf answered with a smile, wiggling her fingers in a wave of her hand. "Hello again. It's been awhile."

Rose just stared at her. "How is that…? How did…? Where am I?"

"In a fundamental externalism in your mind," she answered. "A small space in one of the deep corners of your conscience that allows us to be able to communicate with each other since our connection was almost severed."

"Does that mean I'm talking to _myself?"_

Bad Wolf chuckled. "I guess you could put it that way, but not really." She tilted her head. "Well…"

"How'd I end up here?" Rose asked. "When I woke up I found myself in this…place."

"What was the last thing you remember?"

Rose furrowed her brows. "I was in my cell when one of the guards came in and chained me up, and…oh, my God."

Her eyes widened when it all came back to her. The guard entered her cell with long chains and attached them to hooks in the wall. He had said that the Master was resorting to drastic measures in his interrogation, and she wasn't all too concerned about it. When the man tried to lock her up she kneed him in the gut and then he punched her hard and she blacked out for a few moments. Upon waking up she found herself standing up with her arms and legs spread out wide, a gag covering her mouth, and the guard standing beside her with a gun. He instructed her to stare straight into the camera as every one on the bridge would be watching. She remembered the fear of being held at gunpoint, how much her heart was pounding uncontrollably and her nerves were shaking.

She knew there would be no other way out of the situation other than death. The Master was tetchy as he was on the edge more and more he visited her in her cell, like a ticking time bomb. And then came the boom. It happened so fast she wasn't able to register the dual blasts piercing straight through her heart. But the cries filling her still alert mind penetrated her, causing her heart to break—in the metaphorical sense since it was already shattered due to the shots fired. It was the Doctor. He was on the other side of the camera, forced to watch the action play out, and was defenseless. His agony grew and transferred into her, but it never lasted until she found herself laying in the darkness.

Rose felt like crying, but she was unsure if she was able to in this extraordinary setting. "I'm…dead," she managed to get out.

"Physically, you are," Bad Wolf answered. "Mentally, though, you are still intact," she gestured at herself. "Hence my appearance."

"How's that possible? Is this like the afterlife?"

"Not necessarily. Where we are now is not a place of living nor death. It is a state of nothingness."

Rose hesitated. "So…this is purgatory, then?"

"Again, not necessarily," Bad Wolf responded. "When you were shot the gun was aimed directly at your heart, and not your mind. If you ended up taking the bullets in your head, we wouldn't be able to have this conversation. Your essence was preserved and kept intact thanks to me, as limited as our connection had become."

"But how can my mind still be working?" Rose asked. "'Cause I've been dead for what, like five minutes now?"

_"Thirty_-five, actually," Bad Wolf corrected. "At least back on Earth. Time moves slower in this clairvoyant field, which may seem odd in a dream world, but this isn't the average setting. And to answer your question about being able to communicate with me, it's simple. We are connected."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, so simple. You're talking about how me and the TARDIS being connected, right?"

"Precisely. And it's because of your connection to Her that I am able to be released whenever the situation is dire." Bad Wolf came closer. "We are one in the same, Rose Tyler. Ever since you stared into Her Heart I've imprinted myself onto you forever."

"I already knew that. But…why are we even _here?"_

Bad Wolf sighed. "Still trying to grasp this reality, I see."

"It's not every day that I suddenly wake up after dying and talk to myself in my mind."

Bad Wolf chuckled. "It's a possibility that could become an occurrence if you're not careful in the future."

Great. An occasional out of body experience. That would be quite the habit. "Oh, my God, the Doctor!" Rose said with concern. "How is he? He's suffering, I felt it before I…died. I heard him crying out in pain."

Even now the agonizing screams were echoing in her ears, drowning out the continuous buzzing. Those were never pretty, and it pained her more do having to see or hear him in misery.

"Yes, that's what happens to bonded couples," Bad Wolf said. "When one of them dies the other is left in anguish, able to feel every bit of pain the deceased felt before passing on in their time of death. The bond is severed and leaves a gaping hole in the living partner's mind, unable to be filled again."

The wind was taken out of her. Her poor Doctor, her husband, was dealing with the worst possible pain to ever exist. Judging by Bad Wolf's explanation he felt exactly what being shot through the heart was like—of course he's been struck through his own times before, but undoubtedly the recent blows were the worst pain he's ever felt. More than when all of the Time Lords died. And then having a hole in his mind, the place where she used to fill, was now empty. She broke him apart. She gave that to him.

"None of that was your fault," Bad Wolf told her firmly. "The Master is but a troubled and diseased pariah too far gone to be saved. And by the end of this, he will have paid for the damage he has done."

"Hold on," Rose said. "If our bond was severed, how come I can't sense him or vice versa?"

"Because you're a ghost," Bad Wolf said gently. "While you have been declared dead, your essence still exists here…and within me. Right now, the Doctor can't feel it due to the present act of your death."

"Can I go back?" Rose asked. "Please send me back."

"Now, now," Bad Wolf said. "It's not possible just yet."

"What the hell d'you mean it's not _possible?"_ Rose cried incredulously. "If I can end up here, then I can leave if I want to. 'M not gonna remain a bloody ghost forever. Take me back now! I gotta go back to my body—"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you're stuck here," Bad Wolf told her gently. "And by here I'm referring to the externalism as a spirit. At least until time reverses and you could return to your live form. As of right now, there's a job for us to do. It is why we are here."

Rose wanted to snap, but she needed to calm herself down. Until time reverses? She sighed. "What kind of job?"

"Have you wondered _exactly_ what Martha Jones has been up to since her departure?" Rose nodded as Bad Wolf continued. "Before she left the Doctor told her to do one thing specifically: to walk across the Earth and tell people of his story, to inspire the hopeless just before the final countdown. Had you not been captured he would've sent you to do the same, and yours would leave an even greater effect on those unfortunate souls down there."

"The entire Earth?" Rose said with disbelief. Poor Martha. But she's strong and should be able to handle that task…which was basically wandering on a blood drenched battleground. "That's it?" she asked, her brows furrowed. "How exactly is that gonna help? I mean, it's not that I don't believe in him with his plans, and all of those people still alive need all of the hope they need right now, but—" she stopped herself when she realized something. The one thing the Doctor mentioned to her. "The Archangel Network," she breathed out. "It all has something to do with the Archangel Network."

Bad Wolf nodded, urging her on. "Go on."

"Okay, so the Master designed the network himself to get inside of people's minds, telling them they could trust him. He controlled them by persuasion. So…if the Doctor told Martha to tell his story, about all of the good he's done, then everyone can trust him and take the Master down…and at the right moment at he final countdown!" she said with a smile.

One appeared on Bad Wolf's face. "Now you're gettin' it."

"That's perfect!" She frowned after a second. "So, then what am I supposed to do?"

"We, Rose Tyler," Bad Wolf said, placing her hands on Rose's shoulders. "We're going to integrate with the Archangel Network and join Martha in her journey across Earth—to help her tell the story about the Thief who stole a time machine and ran across the stars, saving the universe with that magnetic aura of his." Her smile widened. "And the Wolf who joined him by his side, and would remain there forever. All of the good deeds done by our Doctor."

Well, this was something she wasn't expecting. Having a conversation with the entity that became a part of her, creating the faction that watched over the Doctor faithfully, to protect him from impending doom and death. And now he was in greater distress, meaning the time to act was right now. She had warned the Master that he would end up defeated and left with nothing. Now his empire was about to crumble. Every bad thing he's done to her husband, her friends, and everyone else around the world would come back to hit him hard like a hurricane.

"How are we gonna do this?" Rose asked. "Just walk the Earth like two spirits?"

"No…we walk as _one_," Bad Wolf told her. "As long as the TARDIS is still about, our connection will always be intact. And right now, She's hanging on to all that She's got just so we can save our Doctor. My power is limited and will need some practice to adjust, but together we will do what we do best: to save the world and our Doctor. You're hanging on to allow us to continue communicating even if you don't realize it. We'll still appear as a ghost-like image to those we choose to be seen by, but it's best to preserve the energy. It will take us some time until everything returns to the way it was to be."

"How long?"

"While you have remained incarcerated since the Doctor's arrival and just before your death, Martha Jones has been walking the Earth for three months. And in order to spread the story of the Doctor we will be grounded for the remainder of the year."

Rose's eyes widened. A year? She had to remain a spirit for nine more months, but it was all for the greater good. Or become the Bad Wolf again, rather. She was still feeling a bit shocked by all that's happened in the last moments or so, but as long as she could fix things and stop the Master. To save the universe, just like the Doctor would want her to do.

"We have to go now," Bad Wolf told her. "As soon as possible."

"Can we…" Rose said. "Can I go see him, just once, before we go? He'll need some sign of hope if we're gonna be gone for a while."

Bad Wolf smiled softly. "As you wish. But know that he won't be able to see you thoroughly since we're separate apparitions. To him, you are just a faint whisper in his mind that could seem like a hallucination."

"Oh."

"It's okay. Just the slightest feel of your presence works wonders for him, even if he won't be able to feel you in his mind. Now, be prepared. There's something you have to see before we visit the Doctor."

Bad Wolf closed her eyes, and Rose found herself being taken away from the room. The ground beneath her fell away as she levitated. Spreading her arms out wide gravity must have taken hold of her as she suddenly began to plummet to the space below. Her hair was whipping in her face as she fell, her heart rising into her throat from the heavy drop.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

About an hour after the horrific scene he could only wish was just one of the worst nightmares that ever haunted his mind, the Doctor slumped in his wheelchair, still completely numb. His mind felt hollow, the air going through his ears and leaving a silent whistling echo behind. The pain eased up…by a fraction. His hearts, however, were shattered. He could still hear the cocking of the gun followed by the resolution of the dual blasts, the bullets lodging themselves into Rose's heart.

He was furious. No, not even that he was filled with a rage so dangerous and blood boiling that he felt indifferent. And he didn't care. Never has he felt such a plethora of unrestrained emotions since…the War. Possibly his darkest of times, where every day worsened and his faith was tested more and more, tempting him to fall into the deepest gallows of himself. To lose himself completely and reanimate into the monster that he became. And when he wasn't earning the blood on his hands he wished that the gun was aimed at him instead. When any and all hope was tarnished he wanted to end it all, to give himself the peace he's missed for so long but seemed so out of reach.

What happened today was no different.

And once again, he was bathed in the darkness. His old friend, one of the most constant companions. The one that stayed with him no matter how many times he changed, the one that never left. The shame and hatred that was always waiting at the doors of his hearts, latching on and barging in with no restraint no matter how uninvited they were. Wounds from the past that were healing little by little as each day went by when he was having the best of times with his wife ended up unravelling and bleeding through, staining him in everything about him that he despised and creating a series of new scars. Such a beautiful disasterpiece.

He was already fit to be tied when he first arrived here since returning from the end of the universe with full intentions of stopping the Master, saving the world, and getting his wife back before she suffered worse than what she already had in her duration confined to Earth. None of those problems were solved, and the storm came over them all and swept away all of his hopes—starting with the death of his wife. Rose. Just imagining her bright, wide smile, her intoxicating and comfortable scent that enveloped him in a warm bubble of serenity without any worries, that he guarded with such protection and devotion. And he failed. He didn't do his part.

He thought about Jackie back in the parallel world. He broke his promise to her as well, to keep her daughter safe no matter what. She was most likely nursing her newborn child while completely unaware of the horrors that happened to her precious daughter here in the real wouldn't be surprised if she lived up to _her_ promise and tore through both universes just to slap him until he was raw. But he'd want her to do so much more to him, as those repetitive smacks wouldn't do justice to what he truly deserved.

In a way he wished Rose _had_ stayed on the other side of that dreaded white wall at Canary Wharf. While he was certain he would've regretted it for his long life if she had ended up that way, separated forever from the one he loved deeply with absolutely _no_ chance of seeing each other again, he gave her the way out to safety. And she came back to him. Yes, he was grateful for her decision, but he wound up failing her.

In the back of his mind he figured something like this would happen. Knowing how ruthless the Master was as a person, as a merciless psychopath with blood running cold through his veins and driven by madness, he feared that he would stoop to that level. All this time he was trying to handle this situation as delicately and cautiously as possible, and where did it get him? It still ended with death, and it was his wife who suffered through it. Their forever was gone, taken away by force. They swore to each other that they would be by each other's sides, to hold each other's hands and trudge through the darkness together.

Only now his hand was left limp, nothing around to fill it.

It sickened him even more as he dwelled on the fact that all of this was caused by _him._ Had only he refrained himself from causing the downfall of Harriet Jones, allowing her to have her three successive terms as Prime Minister. No. He could've gone even further back down the line when they ended up in 1879 Scotland when Queen Victoria banished both he and Rose, labelling him as a threat to the universe and created Torchwood. That bloody organization. It was like a curse, always popping in and ruining his life. But it changed. Jack had promised him that much. While he still had a few doubts, he trusted that man despite the twitchy feelings he gave off. Why couldn't he have run Torchwood sooner? Perhaps then all of this mayhem could've been avoided. No, probably not. The werewolf incident in Scotland still existed, and there was no changing that.

He mentally kicked himself over and over again. He was such an idiot. This was one of the reasons why he had wished he would've drifted off into nothing, back when he didn't have any purposes in his life. Every time he came within one's perimeters those people would end up burning. Those who he saved ended up being sickened, like he as the cancer poisoning innocent beings and ruined their lives. He wasn't sanctimonious at all. He failed everything and everyone; himself and the world by not stopping the Master from unleashing the Toclafane on the Earth to slaughter every human being in its path. But most importantly, and ever so painfully, he had failed Rose. They had promised each other forever, had finally reached the highest possible peak of their relationship, had committed to each other in the most passionate of ways and became husband and wife…

And now she was gone. She was dead.

No, he _refused_ to believe that. If he believed in any of the deities in existence he'd want to be smited for even thinking of that. Despite the lingering aches lodged inside of him in even the deepest corners unable to be touched, he was in denial of the whole thing. His saving grace wasn't gone, she was still out there somewhere. But the gaping hole in his head was a constant reminder that he needed to believe that harsh reality that was her demise. Bile rose up in his throat and he felt like a steel band was tightening his hearts together, crushing them until they turned into dust. How he managed to remain in his chair without falling back down to his knees from the lightheadedness was beyond him, but he was at a loss.

Martha was still out there, hopefully still doing as he instructed her to do in inspiring those broken souls desperately clinging onto some form of hope in a world populated by massacres. She was the only one at the moment that could bring the world back into order, and hopefully if his plan went right, Everything would be restored. Including Rose herself. Rassilon knew he needed a miracle right now. Martha was brilliant, and she was lucky to have escaped from the Hell that was happening here way up in the sky on this aircraft. The massive _Valiant. _Now it was up to her.

His breathing abruptly stopped. The ship's name suddenly struck him as he realized something he had forgotten about. He remembered those ominous words spoken by the Beast long ago, echoing in his ears. The ones he said to Rose: 'the valiant child who would die in battle'. A series of cold chills shot through his body as another wave of anguish washed over him. Now it all made sense. The Beast was right. As much as he wanted to believe those were false, it turned out to be true. He assured Rose time and time again that the Beast had lied to her despite being right about labeling himself 'the killer of his own kind'. And he was wrong. The Beast was right.

How could he have let any of this happen? Again, he cursed himself for drifting into those thoughts. He needed to keep a sane mind while in this unstable environment. Rose was the only thing that kept him alert in the last three months, but now all he had was the silent buzzing in his ears.

Letting out a shaky breath the Doctor slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet—the one that Rose would put on his own wrist. He was waiting to give it to her to place on him back since their honeymoon when he placed hers on, but things happened and they were bouncing all around the world, from the many concert trips to their private throes of intimacy.

Closing his eyes, he fought back on some tears threatening to blur his vision. The sight of Rose's lifeless body slumping forward as she stood, bounded by the chains with the dark crimson holes puncturing her chest, the rivers of blood spewing out and her skin becoming paler by the second, was burned into his memory. Trying to brush it off proved to be impossible, but he tried to remember something more serene, when everything was perfect in the world. Right before any of this madness happened during their honeymoon.

_The_ _Doctor and Rose each lay on their backs beside each other on their bed, their bodies glowing after having made love once their practice session was over. It was a reward for the both of them for working so hard to make sure Rose's sensory awareness was up to par, strengthening her abilities through their bond. Which, much to their pleasure, would occur frequently and was always worth it._

_One of his hands rested behind his head as he closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in the after effects lingering inside of them. Every time they initiated such passion it was exhilarating and calming to the point where they each fell into their own little world free from any worries. Spending forever in each other's arms was all the comfort either of them could ever want._

_Rose placed a hand on his inner thigh, gently caressing his skin with her thumb in the most tender of touches. His own not rested behind his head landed over her fingers and brushed the backs of them with his own thumb._

_"What's on your mind?" he asked out of the blue._

_Rose turned to face him. "You're asking **me** for once?"_

_"Well, I never have the chance to since_ you_ constantly always ask **me.**_ _So…" he turned his head. "Penny for your thoughts?"_

_"You don't even_ have_ a penny, you cheapskate," she replied with an arched eyebrow and a teasing grin._

_"Oi!" he cried incredulously._

_"What, you ain't? How many times have you paid for chips every time we landed in London? Not even_ once."

_His face was full of mock offense. "That's hardly a fair argument. __I'm not cheap!"_

_Rose giggled. "Keep saying that, love. The next time we have chips, you're buying, and you won't find any way out of it. No matter what ways of persuasion you lay on me." The Doctor huffed at her. "And shouldn't you already be able to read my mind to know exactly what I was thinking?"_

_"It's telepathy, not always mind reading. Unless you were to transfer any thoughts or feelings, then I wouldn't have to ask."_

_"Whatever," she said, patting his thigh as she continued her ministrations. "To answer your question…I was just thinking about how amazing this honeymoon has been."_

_The Doctor hummed. "Oh, but it's not over yet. We've still got the gift shop to visit, more sightseeing and snorkeling_—_you know I forgot to mention that there could also be a chance that mermaids populate the waters here as well."_

_Her eyes lit up. "Yeah? Actual mermaids or similar to mermaids, just like the similar-to-but-not-really-the Loch Ness Monster?"_

_He sniffed. "Well…adapted mermaids, I suppose. They're said to be very kind."_

_"Are they telepathic, too?"_

_"Nah, they can speak verbally. Although who knows. Since they can easily adapt I wouldn't be surprised if they_ can_ communicate with each other through their brainwaves."_

_"We could always toss you in the water to find out," Rose said with a tongue-in-teeth grin._

_"And you will be thrown in with me, Rose Tyler," he said with a smile._

_"And then you'll get pummeled with splashes," she replied. __"All's fair in love and war, right?"_

_They both chortled for a moment until coming to a peaceful silence, continuing their tender caresses. Moments like these were the kind that cemented their affinity with each other, allowing them to connect on impossible unreachable levels of love. And that was all that mattered. Just the two of them._

_"Doctor?" Rose said softly after a beat._

_"Hm?"_

_She shifted until she elevated herself on her elbow, dropping her hand from his thigh. "D'you think any of this would've happened if we hadn't gone to Noel?"_

_The Doctor glanced up at her only to divert his attention elsewhere south, admiring the beauteous view before him as he instinctively licked his lips. Rassilon, how the hell was he able to restrain himself back then? He definitely_ was_ daft. He always wondered what their lives would've been like of they had pushed themselves into this sooner. Just laying out in the apple grass_—

_"Oi, eyes up here, you libidinous old man," Rose said, snapping her fingers at him._

_He blinked and arched an eyebrow at her, bringing his eyes back up to hers. "Sorry, but you're distracting me with that…incredibly, enticing __view," he said with a sly grin. "Talk about rude and salacious. I'll bet that was intentional of you."_

_Rose raised her brows at him and reached a finger to stroke his sideburn. "Trying to avoid the question, then. Seriously though, you think we'd be in this position had we not gone there?"_

_The Doctor propped his head on his hand. "Dunno, probably eventually. There could've been so many possible outcomes." He narrowed his eyes. "Though you'd probably find a way to break through the walls, eh?"_

_She combed her fingers through his hairs. "'S what I'm good at doing"_

_He made a happy sound in the back of his throat. "Yes, you are. Can I tell you a secret? I've wanted to confess to you much sooner."_

_"How soon?"_

_"Oh…after Utah."_

_"Seriously?"_

_"And don't get me started with the apple grass." He winked._

_"You old dog," Rose teased. "You were trying to give me hints, eh?"_

_"Well, I was…I…"_

_She giggled and gently kissed him. "Not like I couldn't tell, I always felt you tracing the words on my back to help me sleep. Wasn't hard to miss."_

_He smirked. "I was hoping you'd pick up on that. But, to think back, I believe we'd end up this way regardless if we went to Noel or not. Everything comes in time."_

_"__So philosophical," she commented with a warm smile as she shifted closer, hovering over him as she buried her hand in his hair. "You know what I'm thinking about now?"_

_He grinned as he wrapped his arm around her waist, flattening his palm on her lower back while his opposite hand rested on the back of her head. "Maybe," he answered. She bent down to flick his upper lip with her tongue before kissing him softly. He hummed after a moment. "Guess I was right."_

_"That's a shock," Rose said with a chuckle._

_"Oi," he tickled her ribs and she squirmed in his arms before they resumed their previous activities._

The memory passed and the Doctor felt a small warmth spread inside of him. But it wasn't enough to rid the lingering coldness. He was going to hold onto those memories until this was all over. He'll get her back somehow. He knew he could. His strong faith in her drowned out any doubts.

He inhaled another shaky breath through his nose and kept it in as he brushed his thumb over the bracelet. For a moment he felt some kind of reassurance, as if everything would be okay. Like he could feel Rose's presence, not in his mind but…around. Maybe he was hallucinating, but one thing he was sure about was that he would find a way to fix this somehow.

The feel of warm lips pressing against his own jolted his insides, causing his nerves to tremble. Was that Rose? Was it his mind playing tricks with him since he missed her dearly and desperately wanted to take her in his arms and pray to every God he didn't believe in to grant her with life? Whatever it was it made him feel at ease for the moment. He wanted to respond, but had no chance to once the sensation faded away. Still, that was what he needed now. Hope. His guardian angel watching over him…somewhere.

He focussed more on his plan using the Archangel Network with the one thing he still believed in, the one thing that kept him fighting. Her.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"So, this is the _Valiant,"_ Rose commented as she got her bearings and glanced around the room.

"Provided by UNIT itself," Bad Wolf said leading her down the corridor.

"All this time, and the Master never mentioned this to me."

"That was because he didn't want to. He used you as bait for the Doctor to arrive here. He knew he would demand to see you, so he took precautions to keep you two far away from each other. The Master is afraid that with such great power comes an even greater downfall."

Rose snorted. "Damn straight. Someone's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf." Like she figured.

A sickening feeling washed over Rose as they came up to a pair of double doors. Placing a hand on the doors she noticed that she could easily slip right through them. Up ahead was the beautiful ship she hasn't seen for nearly two years. She smiled but the TARDIS was sick. She was holding on. Entering she gasped as the console room was bathed in an eerie red light. The console itself was sabotaged, caged in behind a steel gate as wires stuck out of it.

"This is the paradox machine," Bad Wolf explained. "It's how the Toclafane are able to populate the Earth. It uses the power of the TARDIS to prevent the universe from collapsing under the contradiction of the grandfather paradox, allowing the Toclafane to kill their ancestors that are the modern day humans."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out. "And what happens if we destroy it?"

"It must not be tampered with until the appropriate time, but once obliterated time will be reversed. Everything that happened would be undone and fixed properly."

Rose nodded. "Where's the Doctor?"

Bad Wolf transported them to the main room, the flight deck of the massive ship. Rose watched from the side as her Doctor slumped in his wheelchair, silently grieving. Her heart broke impossibly more seeing him in person in the darkness of the room. For three months the Master would show up in her cell with a recent picture of the Doctor, showing him in his dramatic aging process. She never expected him to look _this _bad, though.

His beautiful chocolate hair was gone, replaced with a few grays on the sides of his bald head. His skin was sagging and dry, almost as if he were too fragile to even touch. From where she stood she could easily hear his breathing and how heavily it was with every intake. He was worse for wear. Just staring at him tempted her to run over and pull him in her arms, to hold on tight and tell him to never lose hope.

She turned to Bad Wolf. "Can I…?"

The entity nodded. "He won't feel you physically," she reminded. "You're a ghost."

Rose stepped over to him from behind. Coming to his front she felt her lips trembling as she saw his face. The hopelessness and anguish was evident for sure, almost as if he were forcing unshed tears to the backs of his eyes. In one of his hands was a bracelet matching hers. His own. He had yet to allow her to place his around his wrist, and he kept it on him.

Stepping closer to him she noticed a small shift in him, almost as if he could feel her presence. "I'm here, Doctor," she told him softly. His eyes widened at the sound of her voice, but his eyes darted around the room. "Don't give up. You're strong, and you'll make it out of this. Both of us will. I promise. I love you."

Bending down a little she placed her hands on either side of his face and carefully gave him a kiss to his lips, feeling her stomach shake when he unresponsive. He believed she was an illusion, and it hurt her. But maybe it was some reassurance for him to focus on the job at hand—to take down the Master once and for all.

Pulling back she studied his unreadable expression for a moment before walking back over to Bad Wolf. "We have to go now," the entity told her. "We must join together."

Rose nodded. "I'm ready."

Bad Wolf came closer to her and placed her fingers on either side of her head, her fingers resting on her temples. A bright golden light blinded Rose's vision as the familiar song rang in her ears. Waves of warmth spread throughout her body as an overwhelming power consumed her. Feeling herself levitate she dropped down hard on Earth.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Martha set up her tent with full intentions of getting about four hours of sleep before she was off again. These days she needed all the rest she could get since she was constantly on the move, but some days she didn't even want to lay down. Not when the whole world was in need of her.

The fusion mills of China most definitely were _not_ a pretty sight to see, but then again the entirety of the world was a slave ground, so when compared to that it was a small safe haven—without the warm sense of serenity and safety that is. Basically it was like a wasteland. She had met with a family of three, a grieving mother with two young children who had lost their father to a slaughtering done by the Toclafane, and were now slaves working for nothing. It was depressing having to witness scenes like this all across the world. She was grateful her TARDIS key was able to keep her from being noticed by those creatures.

Every night she thought about her family, and how they were doing back on the _Valiant._ Having to be in the Master's company wasn't pleasant at all knowing the things he was capable of doing. Her dad getting involved in this only made her more upset considering how he and her mum weren't in the best place in their relationship. Hopefully Leo was okay wherever he was, maybe hiding away in a safe location. Whenever this whole nightmare was ended—which she hoped was soon, but didn't think it would be that simple—her family was in desperate need for some comfort through this rough patch.

She hasn't been in the UK for three months so far, and it was going to continue to be an extended journey. All around the world. The weather conditions ranged from pouring rain to freezing nights. The tent she called her home sustained some tears and holes, but nothing that couldn't be taken care of thankfully. But if the winds came blowing then that was a different issue. Luckily the considerate group of people she had met in Russia had supplied her with enough supplies to keep her secured whenever she set up her camp. It was like a hiking trip—one where the entire world was resting on her shoulders, rather.

Along with her family all she could think about was her friends stuck up there way up in the sky on that aircraft. Jack had been taken as a prisoner for sure, but what the Master was doing to him was pretty obvious. Probably kept killing him in more ways that couldn't be counted on her hands. The Doctor was still laying around in his aged body, probably unable to move around as much since he struggled to get off the ground before she left them. She saw the hurt look in his eyes mixed with determination. He had a plan, and that's what she was doing now.

And then she thought about Rose. That poor woman was undoubtedly still imprisoned in her cell wherever she was, being shamefully beaten and abused by that sick, hostile loony of a Time Lord. Eighteen months she was in his captivity, and now she was there for an additional three. God only knew how much longer it would have to take until they would be released from their confinement. As long as they make it out alive, then that's all that would matter.

The coldness crept through the tiny holes puncturing the roof of her tent, a small streak of moonlight coming down on her. She prepared some food manually since there was little to no chance of her requiring anything in a nearby shop located anywhere. Having to live like this wasn't something to get used to, but she was adapting to it all with ease. She had finished her meal of fish that she had caught herself from the ocean, cleaned it up and cooked it by a fire. Basic survival instincts kicking in at all times.

As she nestled into her covers Martha closed her eyes…only to have them shoot open once she heard howling from the outside. Grabbing her lantern she carefully peeked through the entrance flap of her tent. If there was a wild animal lurking around these parts she would have to pick up and relocate. The wind had silenced into faint whispers as she widened the opening, scanning the area. Taking a chance she straightened up and exited her abode.

Another howl came from the distance and she stiffened. It sounded like a wolf, and knowing that species they always came in packs. Best move away from here. Her curiosity got the best of her as she moved forward, shining her lantern light in front of her as she walked. Passing a bunch of trees she heard the sound of feet crunching the bundles of twigs littered on the ground. But it wasn't coming from hers.

"Martha Jones."

The sound of the voice startled her, but it was a familiar tone. Somewhat. Whipping around Martha brought her lantern up to the person coming up behind her…and her jaw dropped.

"_R-Rose_?" she managed to get out, the disbelief evident.

The blonde was wearing loose-fitting clothes in a pale beige color resembling that of desert sands, her hair in curls, and was barefoot. She blinked a few times as she saw her friend standing in front of her. Where did she come from?

"How'd you…?" Martha began, shaking her head. "What're you doing _here?"_ She saw a flicker of golden light—not reflecting off of her lantern—shining from Rose's eyes. "Rose, are you okay? What happened?"

"I am not Rose Tyler," she responded. Her eyes glowed, the golden hues increasing. "I am the Bad Wolf."

Martha's eyes widened. This had to be a dream. That or a hallucination since she hasn't had a real decent night's rest since the start of her journey. "W-what?"

Rose—Bad Wolf—smiled. "That was the reaction I was expecting. Didn't mean to frighten you. But I followed the wavelength from your key," she pointed at Martha's TARDIS key hanging around her neck. "Almost like a detector for me to locate you. My Doctor, he's a clever boy. Was able to land about…what, a few feet away from where you set up camp?"

Well, that explains the howling she had heard. And like she thought there _was_ a wolf wandering around these parts—the _Bad_ Wolf.

"What're you doing here?" Martha repeated, unable to cease the pointed stares she was giving. "How did you escape from the _Vailant?_ And how are you not _Rose?_ Traveling with her and the Doctor for nearly a year I think I'd recognize her when I saw her."

"Ah, but you know there's more to Rose Tyler than what meets the eye. You remember the stories about myself?"

"You mean Bad Wolf? Yeah, you—well, _Rose_—said that she became the Bad Wolf when she absorbed the Time Vortex…" She realized something. "Wait, what happened to Rose? 'Cause she said the last time she became you it was by accident. Is that what happened this time?"

Bad Wolf pressed her lips together for a moment. "It's…complicated."

Martha snorted. "Hey, at this point I'll take any kind of explanation."

"In a way this _was_ an accident, though the monarch was responsible for its fruition. Rose Tyler died hours ago," she told her.

Martha gaped. No, she couldn't be dead. Rose was strong, and was fighting the abuse by the Master. It couldn't be true. "No…it can't be."

Bad Wolf lowered her eyes for a moment. "Shot multiple times through the heart. She was defenseless, but went out with dignity. Luckily her essence has been preserved as her mind was still intact…just a small portion before she passed on. Because we are connected, I was able to bind with her allowing us to walk amongst the Earth as one."

This was definitely _not_ what she was expecting. The Master killed Rose, and now her spirit lived on through this Bad Wolf character. At least that's what she _assumed._ She always said that she'd never understand both her and the Doctor since they were the impossible and enigmatic couple. Then it just occurred to her.

"What about the Doctor?" she asked. "How's he doing?"

"Grieving and in anguish," Bad Wolf answered softly. "Once the shots were fired, he felt them through the bond before it severed. Because the bond is permanent it allows the partners to feel everything on a massive scale, and when one of them dies every bit of their pain transfers into their spouse."

"Oh, my God," Martha breathed out. Her heart broke for the both of them. Having been able to have something so deep and revealing with each other that couldn't compare to a normal relationship, it could also be the most tragic. Definitely worse than any humans could feel.

"He is not giving up, though," Bad Wolf said. "He still has faith in her, which means he still lives by the job he has appointed to you."

"But…if Rose is dead and you took her place, can she still be alive?"

"Of course…in a way. But not at the moment. Since we are one, Rose Tyler is still a part of me as I am of her, otherwise I wouldn't be standing right in front of you. As long as our connection remains intact, we'll always be alive. Only now, I have taken control of her essence and granted her with more powers." She raised a hand and waved it over Martha's lantern, illuminating the light to make it brighter. "Powers that could bring justice to those who have lost so much since the Master's reign."

Rude as it was Martha continued to stare in awe at the figure before her. Her aura was magnetizing, much like that of the Doctor's. It's no wonder why they were meant to be together. They were similar in so many ways. Except this Bad Wolf was capable of wielding powers beyond anything else in the world.

"Then why come here?" Martha asked. "I mean, you could've just brought down the Master right now when you were up on the _Valiant."_

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Bad Wolf told her with sympathetic eyes. "My powers, while progressing, they're moving at a gradual rate due to the paradox machine along with the poisoned minds of the hopeless around the world."

Oh, right. The paradox machine. She still was unsure about what it really did, but it wasn't good.

"But, you Martha Jones," Bad Wolf stepped forward. "You've been through so much already while spreading the story of the Doctor, and for that you are a legend in your own right. The woman walking the Earth. The time for you to come home is still ways away, but I will be joining you in your journey to inspire the despaired with the legends of the Thief and his Wolf, and all of the lives that were saved."

Bad Wolf smiled warmly and it mirrored on Martha's face. While she had full intentions of completing the task given to her, she was honored to have some company, and an even powerful one at that. She figured the Doctor had no idea about any of this happening. He was still on the_Valiant_ saddened by the loss of his wife, but little did he know that she was living—in a sense. His secret weapons ready to take down the Master.

"Hold on," Martha said. "Won't you get noticed? I've got my key to keep me safe, what about you?"

"A key isn't needed for myself," Bad Wolf answered. "I am a part of the TARDIS, so in a way, I _am_ the key. However my power is limited at the moment, so I will remain imperceptible to the world as we travel. When the time comes I will reveal myself to serve justice to the Master for the vile crimes he has committed."

Martha nodded but remained silent. After a beat she asked. "Am I gonna be able to see you still?"

"Of course. Should you not I assure you I'm there. I'm most likely concentrating on myself or the surrounding areas. I will allow only you to perceive me for now. No one else…not until the final act."

Once again she nodded. Though she knew she was fully awake, she already figured that she wouldn't believe all of this was real. But it was.

* * *

**_"In wildness is the preservation of the world, so seek the wolf in thyself."_**


	62. Last of the Time Lords Part 1

**A/N: Fast forwarding through the 'Year That Never Was.' ****As always, many thanks to you lovely reviewers and followers! You guys make my days so much brighter ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 62: Last of the Time Lords Part 1**_

_One year later_

It was nearly over. Soon. They were coming down the stretch with the nightmare that has plagued the Earth for so, so long. By tomorrow everything would be different, and back to the way things were. For the first time since leaving a year ago to embark on a perilous journey around the world Martha was coming home, but it was anything but home now. It was a wasteland, an endless dystopian and desolate domain ruled by the Master and invaded by the Toclafane. Home sweet Hell. The slaughters were nothing pretty, how could they be? Having to witness bodies be sliced and diced with sharp blades spinning at one like a wheel of death, where you see your reflection in the steel just before you get chopped like a vegetable.

And the slaves were another story. Those who survived were either in hiding where they wouldn't be discovered—which was a tremendously huge risk in itself—or working as slaves but without pay. It was heartbreaking and utterly disgusting at the sick ambitions of one with a diseased mind. Even seeing his likeness carved into huge statues and on various monuments all over the world was so distasteful that Martha wanted to spit on each and every one of them. Compared to the rest of the world it was the same scenery that she's known as she passed by as a drifter. But she wasn't alone. Not ever.

Through it all the Bad Wolf was her trusting companion, standing right beside her - in the spiritual sense—as she dealt with the hardships of walking the Earth, moving from one country to the next, spreading the inspiring tales about some madman in a blue box that travels across the stars and saving the universe with his lovely wife by his side. Young children and adults alike were amazed by some of the adventures those two had over the years and believed in it almost immediately. Most of the stories told were given to her by Bad Wolf, who whispered them in Martha's mind.

That was another thing that astounded Martha: how Bad Wolf would speak through to her via telepathy, usually when she chose not to be seen by anyone. Of course Bad Wolf adjusted her perception and only allowed to _occasionally_ be seen by Martha, not only because she was practicing with her powers and preserving them for the right time, but she was waiting to reveal herself at the final act. But Bad Wolf was basically a ghost of her friend.

Strange as she felt around the Bad Wolf she also felt comfortable. While it was still Rose—sort of—this being seemed so protective of her. The woman changed her appearance often and ditched the baggy outfit once in a while for casual clothes such as jeans and a hoodie. She had returned to her original look as their boat was coming up to a shore, still keeping herself hidden from the world. Martha was told that the Bad Wolf was created to save the Doctor whenever he was in serious danger, and that's what they were about to do now.

As they rode their boat they shortly came up to a beach on the coast, a man directing them in with a lamp. Bad Wolf had informed her that they were to meet up with a woman, a professor by the name of Alison Docherty, who would be the ticket to getting back onboard the _Valiant. _The woman was frantic as she was desperate to know if her son was still alive, but a 'negotiation' could be exchanged as part of their plan, meaning she wasn't to be trusted one hundred percent, mainly because she would end up being a traitor. But it was the only way they would be able to arrive on the _Valiant,_ and a part of the whole plan.

Soon they were pulled onto the shore and stepped down onto the sand, running through the cold water to join the man who had a hopeful look on his face. "What's your name then?" Martha asked.

"Tom Milligan," the man replied. "No need to ask who you are—the famous Martha Jones." They started to walk up the beach, to the path where the grass skirted the edge of the sands. "So, what's the plan?" Tom asked.

"This Professor Docherty, I need to see her," Martha answered. "Can you get me there?"

"She works in a repair shed in nuclear plant 7. I can get you inside. But what's this all for? What's so important about her?"

She studied the man and shook her head. "Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk."

Tom nodded. "There's a lot of people depending on you. You're a bit of a legend."

Martha inwardly scoffed but after everything she's seen there would be no humor in this situation. "What does the legend say?"

"That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you're the only person to get out of Japan alive."

That was not a pretty sight at all. She inwardly winced at the unpleasant memory when the whole country literally blew up, flames climbing high in the sky as smoke poured out, choking in all of the residents' lungs as they gasped for air. Bad Wolf looked on with a disheartened expression as she and Martha made it out before the entirety crumbled to the ground. Things like that made Martha sick to her stomach, but Bad Wolf assured her to stick to the plan and everything would fall back into place.

"'Martha Jones,' they say," Tom continued. "'She's gonna save the world'.…bit late for that," he muttered.

"It is not too late," Bad Wolf said from the side, only for Martha to hear. "There is still time."

A group of bushes were at the edge of the beach and the shadow of a jeep was parked behind them. Martha's brows furrowed. "How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?"

"Medical staff," he answered, pulling the driver's side door open. "Used to be in pediatrics back in the old days." He climbed in. "But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out at the labor camps."

"Great," Martha said as she eyed the vehicle while Bad Wolf slid into the back seat. Martha moved around the jeep before taking the passenger's seat and fastening her seatbelt. "I'm travelling with a doctor." Tom stared at her and she smiled. "I was a med student before all this, training to become an actual doctor."

He grinned as he took out his keys and started his jeep. "You know…story goes, that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead."

Martha swallowed hard at the sound of that. "Let's just drive," she told him.

She glanced up at the rear view mirror to look at Bad Wolf. "Do not worry, Martha. I promise the Master will pay for his crimes."

Nodding she watched as they passed by the carnage piled up in the streets. This would all be over soon, she kept repeating. Soon.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

**_"Citizens rejoice! Your Lord and Master stands on high, playing track three."_**

The Doctor didn't bother to stifle a groan at the Master's booming voice coming over the loudspeaker followed by the Scissor Sisters blaring through the main conference room. Always had a fascination with upbeat rhythms with catchy lyrics. It was his alarm clock for the morning, indicating the start of a brand new day, as dark as they always were and getting closer to the launch day of the supposed better land. This was no Utopia for sure.

As each day passed that psychopath's ego and megalomaniac hunger skyrocketed—more than usual, and that was saying something given how easily he escalates quickly into his madness. And the never-ending drums that haunted that man's diseased mind. There was no use in helping him now. At first he had a slim chance of being saved, but given the circumstances that escalated after any chance of forgiveness was chucked away. His conceitedness only kept urging the Doctor to punch him in the face, but given his current physicality it wouldn't happen.

His ears rang as the volume of the music increased and he groaned again. Not that sleep was a main priority since he could barely sleep what with having to lay uncomfortably in a tent on straw with an incredibly aching and old body. And then there were the nightmares that kept plaguing his mind whenever he had the chance to. But every time he closed his eyes he would envision the world outside with the Toclafane ravaging the domains and that dreadful image of Rose's limp body.

For nine months he's had to go on with having to unwillingly be reminded about that horrific day, and the Master would always find a way to bring it up as means of taunting. But he would try brushing them aside and reminisce on the more pleasant memories of her, as depressing as they were now. Even now though, he still never lost hope. He never believed that Rose was gone, despite the hard evidence burned into his memory. Silent echoes may have populated his mind but all he wanted was his wife back. He'll find his way back to her, he'll make sure of it.

The sound of that familiar annoying bell rang and the Doctor sighed. Another part of the daily morning routine. Slowly crawling out of his tent like a feeble animal he saw the Master standing on the bridge by the bell while Lucy was by the large conference table watching her husband proudly wearing a red gown and some purple bruises encircling her eye. No surprise that the Master was abusive to his wife as well, just as he was with Rose. He constantly made it known that he was the one in control.

Definitely chose his name wisely.

Francine was in the corner of the room, watching on with disgust at the whole disturbance. Every time he saw a member of Martha's family appear on the ship his hearts ached more. None of those people deserved any of this madness, to be involved in his own personal battles with his ancient old enemy. They were innocent along with every single person on the planet that had been slaughtered or taken as prisoners. Wherever Martha was, he hoped she was doing okay. He's heard sightings of her through the radio, but everything was oddly kept hush hush, but the Master knew of it.

The plan was coming into order, but not fast enough.

Rising to his feet the other Time Lord dashed down the steps leading up to the bridge, a wide smile plastered on his face. He reached over and grabbed the Doctor by the tie and pulled him close, lip syncing to _"I Can't Decide"_ before shoving him down into his wheelchair. Skipping around to the back of it the Master pushed him around with exuberance as the women in the room watched. He brought him over to the same window he's always stopped at, learning down to peer outside with him.

A few of the Toclafane spheres buzzed by and the Master chuckled happily. "It's ready to rise, Doctor—the new Time Lord Empire. It's good, isn't it?" The Doctor remained silent as he stared out of the window. "Isn't it good?" the Master repeated, waving a hand in front of the Doctor's face. "Anything? No? Anything? Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they? Those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are. They certainly did the same to Rose." The Master sucked in a breath. "Shame for you, having to—and I quote something I know you're quite familiar with—'suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and bearing the whips and scorns of time.'"

The Doctor ignored him. Leave it to the Master to quote Shakespeare as if he were ever scholastic and philosophical. Psychologists of old would have based their diagnoses off of that madman's mental state for sure. He wasn't the least bit surprised.

"They say Martha Jones…has come back home," the Master spoke up. "Now why would she do that?"

"Leave her alone," the Doctor rasped out loud for the first time this morning.

The Master looked away from the window to glance at the Doctor. "On the day I took control, what did you tell her?"

More catechizing. "I have nothing to say to you," the Doctor told him.

"Oh, you old, ungrateful, sanctimonious sod," the Master hissed as he pushed himself away from the wheelchair and ran back up on the bridge, clapping his hands. "Come on, people! What are we doing? Launch Day in twenty-four hours!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes once the other Time Lord walked away. He caught Francine's eye and placed three fingers on his thigh. She gave him a slight nod, assuring him that she would spread the message along to the others. It wasn't a bright idea, if he was honest. Rose would tell him it was completely stupid and it was. But at least it would be a distraction.

Soon this would all be over, so all he could do was wait. Even though he was impatient.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha surveyed the lands and it was worse than she imagined, which said a lot considering she's seen an awful lot of destruction across the world. She would glance over at Bad Wolf every once in a while to see her reaction, and it was an impassive expression. Of course she's seen much worse before too, but she didn't show as much emotion like Rose would've. They came to a stop with Tom at the edge of a rocky cliff as a massive statue of the Master towered over the city along with the shipyards.

"All over the Earth, those things," Martha said with disgust. "He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore."

"Best to keep down," Tom warned as he gestured in the far distance. Both Martha and Bad Wolf peered down to see a rocket preparing itself to be launched. "Here we go. The entire south coast of England…converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labor every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap."

Martha shuddered when a memory came over her. "You should see Russia."

"Such a grim sight should never be seen nor happen at all," Bad Wolf commented from the side. Martha noticed that she was immersing herself into other matters, most likely concentrating on preserving her powers until the final act.

"That's Shipyard Number One," Martha continued. "All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait. There's a hundred thousand rockets ready for war."

Tom turned to her. "War? With who?"

"The rest of the universe. I've been out there, Tom—in space. Before all this happened. And there's a thousand different civilizations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all."

The man just started at her. "You've been in space?"

That would be all he took from that. She arched an eyebrow at him. "Problem with that?"

"No no," he said, shaking his head. "No, just uh…wow. Anything else I should know?"

"I've met Shakespeare," she said casually with a smile.

Tom stared at her but before he could make a response, two of the Toclafane spheres flew over in their direction. Martha stiffened but knew she was protected. Bad Wolf stood by her side and nodded, assuring her that there was no need to worry. Despite that it still sent shivers down her spine whenever she came within a few feet away from them after witnessing the carnage they caused.

"Identify, little man," one of them said to Tom, who thankfully turned to face the creatures.

He held up his ID. "I-I've got a license. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking f-"

"Soon the rockets will fly and everyone will need medicine," the other sphere said in a delighted voice. "You'll be so busy."

Martha shivered as they laughed and flew off. The spheres were incredibly unsettling, She turned slowly around to Tom as he gave her a confused look.

"But…they didn't see you," he pointed out.

"How do you think I travelled the world?" she said as she pulled out her TARDIS key.

"Apparitions walking amongst the ashes of a desolate land," Bad Wolf said. Well, in her case she actually _was_ a ghost…sort of. The concept of Bad Wolf still confused Martha once in a while, but just like when she was around the Doctor and Rose, lots of times she kept a lot of her questions to herself as the answers would most likely lead to more questions.

As the two women walked back to the truck, Tom followed and asked. "How's a key keep you hidden from those things?"

"'Cause the Master set up Archangel," Martha told him. "That mobile network, fifteen satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting a low-level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotized into thinking he was Harold Saxon."

Tom scoffed. "Saxon. Feels like years ago."

"But the key's tuned in to the same frequency. Makes me sort of…not invisible, just unnoticeable." Much like Bad Wolf, only she was intentionally making herself invisible to the world, waiting to be revealed.

"But I can _see_ you," he said, still perplexed.

Martha grinned. "That's 'cause you _wanted_ to."

He returned the smile. "Yeah, I suppose I did."

Biting her lip she studied the man for a moment. Caught up in her musings about how it felt to be back home, she never noticed how handsome Tom was. "Is there a Mrs. Milligan?" she blurted out.

Bad Wolf sighed and Martha mentally kicked herself.

"No, no," he said quickly. "Um…what about you?"

"God no," she said with a laugh. "Haven't met the right man just yet…"

"Martha, _focus,"_ Bad Wolf directed from the side.

She shook herself from those thoughts. What the hell was the matter with her? She's been walking the Earth, telling stories about her two dearest friends as a means to inspire those in need of hope which could bring down the vile psychopath that was keeping them along with her own family captive—and she was flirting with a stranger. What kind of mindset is that?

"A common occurrence," Bad Wolf said. "But right now we've got more important matters to attend to."

Letting out a deep breath Martha made her way back to the truck. "Come on, I've got to find this Docherty woman."

"We'll have to wait until the next work shift," Tom said. "What time is it now?"

"Nearly three o'clock."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"And what have we learned?" the Master asked Lucy in a patronizing tone as she trembled before him.

"T-that you are never to be doubted," she replied with a whimper. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

He smiled. "Good girl," he said as he led them out.

He had just returned after having a quickie with Lucy, which could've been better had she not had the stamina worse than a beaten down lion, but it was the norm when you're married. Shockingly she remained completely silent the entire time. Before she used to try to make an attempt at telling him they could be doing more important things as the ruler of the world, but he'd smack her until she realized who the Master truly was.

Now she was like a rag doll, entirely quiet and barely uttering a word. Of course when he first picked her up she had been that way, but it increased. He broke her, and what did she have to throw back at him? Absolutely nothing. For months he's had small spats with her when she seemed to actually be doubting him and his power, to which he laid out his means of discipline. Shame.

At least when Rose was still around she would be a little more interesting and fun to play with. That stubborn little tool was feisty, and he liked that very much—even though she was irritating to the point where…well, he ordered her to be shot. Oh, Rose. Now she was rotting away in a cell—a wilted Rose. What an appropriate term. The memory was still all too amusing even after nine months, and having to witness the Doctor's bereaving day after day made the victory that much sweeter. So much pity. That's all he ever wanted, and that was what that blonde gave him. Anything to make a gag reflex, in his opinion.

The clock almost hit three o'clock and the Master let out a sigh. He walked into the main conference room. "Time for my massage," he said as he peeled off his jacket and threw it on the table by Francine Jones. "Who shall I have today? Tanya. Come on, sweetheart." He took the hand of the masseuse and led her over as he sat down. "Lucy, have you met Tanya? She's _gorgeous._ Tanya, when we get to the stars, I'm gonna take you to Katria Nova—whirlpools of gold. You two should get to know each other." The woman began to knead his shoulders and he relaxed. "That might be fun."

Lucy barely smiled and he inwardly sighed. A Dalek would've had more of a reaction. Oh well. She was still his support, so she offered that much. Everything else…nothing really left for her.

**_"Condition red!"_** a voice blared through the PA system.

"What the hell?"

The Master jumped up and rushed up to the bridge and peered at a monitor. Guards were working to settle the commotion, whatever it was. He had a pretty clear guess as to what it was. Most likely Captain Jack causing a disturbance. Quite the cheeky little dickens, that man was. Probably got all excited with seeing all of the guards coming his way and lost control of his libido. He didn't put a pass on him. Turning away from the monitor he was met with the Doctor pushing himself upright to aim the laser screwdriver at him.

"Oh, I see," the Master said as he raised his hands up.

"I told you," the Doctor rasped. "I will stop you."

He pressed a button, and the Master braced himself…then nothing happened as it was programmed. He burst into a brief laughing fit. Lowering his arms he skipped down the stairs and went over to the Doctor, plucking the screwdriver from the other man's hands with ease.

"Isomorphic controls," he said with a grin before backhanding the Doctor, sending him to the ground. "Which means they only work for me. Like this." He turned to point the screwdriver at Francine, shooting just off to the side of her and hitting the wall. She ducked and began to cower. "Say sorry!" he shouted.

"Sorry, sorry," she said with slight irritation. "Sorry!"

"Mum!" Tish suddenly cried as she ran over to her mother.

"Didn't you learn anything from the blessed Saint Martha, or from the ever-so sanctimonious Rose?" He sauntered over as Lucy fetched his jacket and helped it back on him. "Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do." He glanced over at a nearby guard. "Take them away."

The guard obeyed as he grabbed a hold of both women and hauled them out of the room. Foolish humans. Not as foolish as the Doctor, though. Turning back around with a sigh he went back over to the other Time Lord. Hooking his arms he lifted the old man and plopped him down in one of the leather chairs around the table.

"There you go, gramps," he said, patting his shoulders before leaning on the edge of the table. "Oh, do you know, I remember the days when the Doctor—oh, that famous Doctor—was waging a Time War. Battling Sea Devils and Axons. He sealed the rift at the Medusa Cascade single-handed. Ooh." He grinned. "And look at him now…stealing screwdrivers. How did he ever come to this? Oh yeah. Me!"

"This has to stop," the Doctor rasped. "You've gone too far, and you know no good will come out of this. Just stop."

"No, it's my turn," the Master hissed. "Revenge! Best served hot. And this time…it's a message for Miss Jones."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Cutting through the wires placed up around the area Tom made a quick check for any Toclafane before they made their way through the grass, squeezing their way through a fence and coming up to a secluded compound. Bad Wolf stayed outside for a moment to focus on her energy while Martha and Tom eased into a messy room with various electronics thrown all over the place, broken and dead. An older woman donning a heavy brown jacket, a jumper with a scarf, and fingerless gloves was muttering before hitting a beaten up monitor.

Tom exchanged a glance with Martha before calling out, "Professor Docherty?"

"Busy," the woman answered, her eyes fixed on her work.

"They, uh, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones."

"She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy," Docherty snapped.

Martha restrained herself from retorting. For a whole year she's been walking the Earth and gave hope to people, was considered to be a hero, though she was modest and thought it was too strong of a term for her, and here was this old woman flipping out. On other circumstances Martha would've made a snide comment about how she was losing hope, but she bit her tongue. There were more important things to tackle. Saving the universe.

"Televisions don't work anymore," Martha reminded her.

Docherty sighed. "Oh, God, I miss Countdown," she said as she fiddled with two wires. "Hasn't been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural of Des? Desii? Deseen?" Both Martha and Tom exchanged another look at each other as the woman continued, banging on the monitor once more. "But we've been told there's gonna be a transmission. From the man himself." Static appeared on the screen. "There!" the woman cried as the static whirred, morphing into a grainy black and white image of the Master.

**_"My people,"_** the Time Lord said with a voice so benign that Martha inwardly shivered, followed by disgust. This monster had her friends and family held as prisoners._** "Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope. But I ask you…how much hope has this man got?"**_ He stepped away to reveal the aged Doctor sitting in his chair staring up at the camera with tired, hard eyes. The Master stood behind him. _**"Say hello, Gandalf. 'Course, he's been a bit bereft after the tragic death of his wife…"**_ he sucked in a breath. _**"And as you can see, we're all grieving."**_

Martha's heart broke at the sight of the Doctor in such a state, but curled her lip in disgust at the Master's false sympathy. That nutjob, that sick and twisted misanthrope of a man was proud of everything he has done in his reign of power, including killing those innocent people around the world. And Rose. She was a victim from the start it seemed, being strung along until he had enough of her resilience and took her life. Somewhat.

From behind Martha swore she heard a low growl. She didn't have to turn to look over her shoulder to know who it was. Bad Wolf had returned from stabilizing her energy and preserving her powers, now watching in complete fury as her Doctor was being mocked. In the back of Martha's neck she could feel the heat radiating from the entity's eyes as she glared at the Master on the screen. That lunatic had no idea of what was coming, but it wasn't going to be pretty, that was for sure.

_**"Except he's not **_**that**_** old,"**_ the Master continued. _**"But he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted, little apes. What if it showed?"**_He looked down at the Doctor and pulled out his laser screwdriver.**_ "What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them? Older and older and older."_ **

The Doctor glanced over at him, an apathetic look in his eyes mixing with a silent rage. The rage turned into seering agony as the Master aimed the screwdriver at him, causing him to convulse and flail around in his seat. It was like replaying the horrifying scene in Martha's mind as she saw the same action right before she had left to walk the Earth. And it was every bit as depressing to watch as it was the first time. His form began to shrink as he slid out of his chair onto the floor and out of the shot.

_**"Down you go, Doctor,"** _the Master mused. **_"Down, down, down you go."_** Then there was silence. No more sound other than the whirring of the Master's screwdriver once it cut out._** "Doctor…"**_

The other Time Lord rolled his neck as he glanced around the room, waiting foe some kind of response. Kneeling down the camera panned with him as he examined a heap of clothes that was the Doctor's suit. For what seemed like an eternity of every person on the planet holding their breaths a small, rounded head popped out slowly from the collar of the shirt, two, huge bulging eyes blinking as he turned to look up at the Master, who smirked and let out a small laugh before straightening up to walk back over to the camera.

**_"Received and understood, Miss Jones?"_** he snarled. Glaring at them for another moment he reached up and switched The camera off, the connection lost as the static reappeared.

"I'm sorry," Tom said quietly.

"The Doctor's still alive," Martha said with a weak smile. That was all that mattered for the moment.

And that's when the television screen cracked before exploding, sparks flying out as they all ducked from the blast. Docherty yelled angrily at the appliance as she banged it, but Martha knew what it was. The Bad Wolf. Turning to look over her shoulder she saw the entity ball her trembling fists up as her eyes glowed a piercing gold. The Master has no idea what he brought upon himself.

"Okay, the Doctor is alive. And…that's a good thing, how?" Tom asked curiously.

"Trust me, it _is,"_ she told him firmly. "It's all we can hope for."

"Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness," Docherty said after she ended her frustrated tirade on the sudden destruction of the television. "Fifteen satellites all around Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared."

"We could just take them out," Tom suggested.

Martha remained impassive as she glanced to the side where Bad Wolf was.

"We could," Docherty said. "Fifteen ground-to-air missiles. You got any on you? Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend."

"Bad tactic," Bad Wolf commented.

"They're not called Toclafane," Martha said irritably. "That's a name the Master made up."

"What?" Tom said. "Then what are they, then?"

"And why have you come to me?" Docherty asked.

Martha took a deep breath. "Know your enemy," she simply said.

In a way she still felt sympathy for this woman, even though she was going to end up betraying her by desperately doing whatever she could to make sure her son was alive and away from the Master's clutches.

"I've got this." Martha pulled out the data disk. "No one's been able to look at a sphere close up. They can't even be damaged—except once. The lightning strike in South Africa brought one of them down. Just by chance. I've got the readings on this."

Docherty took the disk and inserted it into a nearby computer. Much like her actions from earlier the woman unleashed her frustrations with the faulty equipment by smacking it around until something popped up on the screen.

"Oh, whoever thought we'd miss Bill Gates," she said.

"So is that why you travelled the world?" Tom asked. "To find a disk?"

Martha shook her head. "No. Just got lucky."

"I heard stories that you walked the Earth to find a way to build a weapon," Docherty said as she kept her eyes on the computer.

Martha bit her lip as she glanced over to Bad Wolf to find her gone again. After a year she'd think she would be used to that, but that wasn't the case. She still couldn't fathom that Rose was…dead. Theoretically speaking. Both she and the Doctor informed her of the plan: to tell the stories about the Doctor's adventures of triumph and the things he and Rose had done, and to improvise. To create a diversion that could mask up the actual plan.

Of course the Doctor was unaware of the secret aspect of the plan, and that would be the Bad Wolf's involvement.

"There!" Docherty suddenly shouted as she pointed to the screen. "A current of 58.5 kilo amperes transferred charge of 510 mega joules precisely."

"Can you recreate that?"

"I think so," she said. "Easily, yes."

"All right then, Dr. Milligan," Martha said. "We're gonna get us a sphere."

"I will retrieve one of the residues," Bad Wolf told Martha before moving swiftly out of the room. Martha turned to see where she made her leave, keeping her mouth shut.

"What is it, Martha?" Tom asked.

She remained neutralized as she shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Just…felt a breeze, that's all." _The 'ghost' of my friend had left to capture a sphere. _A wolf on the prowl.


	63. Last of the Time Lords Part 2

**A/N: Next part. Not really much to say. ****Much love to you lovely reviewers and followers! You deserve cookies.**

* * *

_**Chapter 63: Last of the Time Lords Part 2**_

The Doctor sat down, not in his tent, but was now confined to a birdcage. His head felt far too big for the rest of his body as he tried to keep himself upright to avoid slamming into the metal bars from his weakened state. As it turned out there _was_ something far more uncomfortable about having an actual nine hundred year old body, and that was having a _thousand_ year old one that was shrunken to the point where it could fit in a man's pocket. Talk about aches and pains. The double doors to the conference room swung open as the Master stepped through with Lucy by his side like a timid animal.

"How're we feeling, Gollum?" he said with a smirk then chuckled. "That's definitely a more appropriate name for you now. Out with the old wizard and in with the old, repulsive creature. Oh, come now, not even a _chuckle?"_ The Doctor said nothing as he stared hard at the man, feeling his eyes hang. "Oh, you've become dull. But here's something I know will cheer you up. Tomorrow, they launch. We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space. They won't see us coming. Kinda scary."

"Then stop," the Doctor said.

"Once the empire is established, and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens," the Master said as he released his arm from Lucy's and stalked the cage. "Maybe then…it stops. The drumming…" he leaned close as the Doctor struggled to his feet. "The never-ending drumbeat, ever since I was a child. I looked into the Vortex. That's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right _now._ Tell me you can hear it, Doctor. Tell me."

The Doctor clutched the bars of the cage. "It's only you."

The Master stated at him for a moment. "Good."

The doors slid open again as one of the spheres came flying in. "Tomorrow, the war," it said. "Tomorrow we rise. Never to fall."

"You see?" the Master said, gesturing at it as he glared at the Doctor. "I'm doing it for them! You should be grateful! After all, you love them. So very, very much." He moved to sit at the conference table. "I took Lucy to Utopia. A Time Lord and his _human_ companion," he sneered. "I took her to see the stars. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

"Trillions of years into the future," Lucy said with a small voice, sounding like she was hypnotized. "To the end of the universe."

"Tell him what you saw," the Master pressed.

Her face was impassive and her voice was hollow. "Dying. Everything _dying."_ She shuddered slightly. "The whole of creation was falling apart. And I thought…there's no point. No point to anything. Not ever."

"And it's all your fault," the Master added as he leaned back in his seat. "You should have seen it, Doctor. Furnaces, burning. The last of humanity screaming at the dark."

"There was no solution, no diamonds," the sphere spoke. "Just the dark and the cold."

"All that human invention that had sustained them across the eons, it all turned inwards," the Master said. "They cannibalized themselves."

The sphere giggled like a child. "We made ourselves so pretty."

"Regressing into children, but it didn't work. The universe was collapsing around them."

"But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"My masterpiece, Doctor," the Master said. "A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place, allowing the past and the future to collide in infinite majesty."

"But you're changing history," the Doctor told him desperately. "Not just Earth, the entire _universe."_

"I'm a Time Lord, I have that right," he said before he started to twitch.

"But even then, why come all this way just to destroy?"

"We've come backwards in time to build a brand new empire lasting one hundred trillion years," the sphere answered.

"With me as their master," the Master said with a smile. "Time Lord and humans combined. Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" He stood from his seat and walked back over to the cage. "Human race. Greatest monster of them all. Night, then," he left and the Doctor slumped back down in his cage. The plan had to work, it just had to.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Carefully wandering around the area Martha and Tom were on the lookout for any of the Toclafane to be caught. Bad Wolf had told Martha that she would capture one herself somehow, but hasn't been seen since then. Not that she doubted her, but if she did this wouldn't she be allowing herself to be seen by the others? Unless that was her intentions.

Tom raised a gun to the sky and fired, attracting the attention of one who appeared from around the corner. They both ran away from it as it chased them but before they could lead it into the spot where they set up an electric charge they heard it stop buzzing. Turning around Martha saw Bad Wolf holding it in her hands.

"You got it!" Martha exclaimed happily.

"How…?" Tom began to question. "Wait, where did she come from? Who is she? Did she come with you?"

"Oh, yeah, she's been with me for the most of my journey. This is…Daisy," she said, unconvincingly. "And she's my friend."

Tom arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh, I didn't know you travelled with another drifter. Nice to meet you, miss." Bad Wolf gave no response and just stood with the sphere in her hands. "Um…" Tom glanced at Martha.

_Time to improvise_, Martha thought. "Sorry, she's always been like that, ever since she was a child. She went through…a lot."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said with sympathy. Bad Wolf nodded, her face neutral. Tom nodded, accepting Martha's answer. "I have to say that was pretty impressive how she caught that thing."

"Yeah, she's highly skilled. Used to be an officer with the MI6, but she's known to apply her skills for certain situations like this one."

"She _is_ impressive, I gotta say," Tom said with a smile. "Definitely worthy of being a cohort to James Bond."

Bad Wolf grinned, still remaining silent. Martha inwardly sagged in relief. As long as he accepted her made-up story. Although maybe she should've used a better name than 'Daisy'. A replacement name that was also that of a flower's like 'Rose'. How original. Still, as long as Bad Wolf didn't reveal herself fully until the final act.

Heading down into the bleak room, Docherty was holding two plugs and stared at them blankly. "Who's she?"

"Another traveller. She came with Martha," Tom replied before gesturing at the sphere in Bad Wolf's hands. "A former highly trained officer, too."

The older woman's brows furrowed. "How was that even possible?" she said incredulously. "No one could just be able to catch one of those things like it's a volleyball."

"Daisy's just too good," Martha said. "All of that training pays off."

"So I set up this electric magnetic field for nothing, then," Docherty said flatly, dropping the plugs from her hands.

"No, Professor," Martha told her calmly. "It was a great idea, and I'm sure that it would've worked. Keep it handy just in case you might need it again."

Docherty nodded with a sigh. "Fine. Let's get that thing up here." She came over and pulled the sphere from Bad Wolf and placed it on the table, beginning to work on it. "There's some sort of magnetic clamp. Hold on, I'll just trip the—" she abruptly stopped her actions when the sphere made a hissing sound before the top popped, dividing into quarters and opening to reveal a deformed human head integrated with the machinery. "Oh, my God!"

Stepping up to the sphere only led to the group—save for Bad Wolf—to back away with a start when the lights inside turned on and the eyes opened, appearing huge and a foggy pale blue.

"It's alive!" Docherty whispered in shock.

"Martha," it said. "Martha Jones."

Martha's breath hitched when it identified her. Both Docterty and Tom stared at her. "It knows you," he said in disbelief.

"Sweet, kind Martha Jones," it continued. "You helped us to fly."

"What do you mean?" she asked warily, eyeing Bad Wolf.

"You led us to salvation."

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"The skies are made of diamonds."

Shivers shot down her spine at those familiar words. Words said by that young boy back in the silo at the end of the universe. Creet. The young boy with the mop of blonde hair and a wide, brightening smile who's mother told him that the skies of their destination at Utopia were made of diamonds—and he was now encased in a cold, metallic shell that killed.

_"No,"_ she whispered, backing away and almost hitting Bad Wolf. "You can't be him."

"We share each other's memories," it said. "You sent him to Utopia."

She brought a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God!" A wave nausea came to her as she tried to refrain from gagging. All of those poor people…

"What's it talking about?" Tom asked. "What's it mean?"

"What are they?" Docherty spoke up.

Martha blinked and shook her head, attempting to be in denial but to no avail. Tom went over to her. "Martha, tell us. What are they?"

"They're us," she said with a shaky voice. "They're humans. The human race from the future." She whipped around to Bad Wolf, glaring at her.

She arched a brow._ "I assumed you would've been able to figure it out," _she said telepathically as she crossed her arms over her chest. _"It's completely wrong, and should never have happened, which is why we must worry about getting onboard the Valiant so everything the Master has done will be undone. Think about it, Martha. You should've already knew."_

As if she wasn't feeling horrible already about the devastation that ravaged the planet, and now she found out that the killers were humans—the refugees that they were trying to help a year ago. Martha was a little displeased by the Bad Wolf's slight impassive mood, but then again she couldn't blame her. She was trying to remain casual throughout everything and most likely preserving her full wrath by the end. It still annoyed Martha that she wasn't told thoroughly about the paradox machine. Bad Wolf hadn't explained to her the properties and its purposes and never clarified it in simple terms.

She took a deep breath. Bad Wolf was right, they needed to focus more on the situation at hand.

"What d'you mean that they're us?" Tom asked, still confused by the reveal.

"I…" Martha began. "It all makes sense now. It's all about the paradox machine, and I just haven't given as much thought about it. The Master stole the TARDIS—this time machine that belongs to the Doctor—and landed here to begin his rise to power. But before he left the Doctor locked the coordinates, leaving the Master to only be able to travel between now and the end of the universe. That's where they came from, and that's why he made the paradox machine to bring them here. He found Utopia."

Tom and Docherty stared at her. She quickly glanced at Bad Wolf who gave an imperceptible nod for her to continue. "The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything."

"There was no solution, no diamonds!" the sphere that was once Creet said indignantly. "Just the dark and the cold. But then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home."

"But that's a paradox," Docherty said. "If you're the future of the human race and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist."

"And that's the paradox machine," Martha said. How could it have taken her so long to realize that?

"But what about us?" Tom asked. "We're the same species. Why do you kill so many of us?"

The sphere spoke with pride. "Because it's fun!" it said with a maniacal laugh, showing exactly how mad those people have become. They used to be innocent lives searching for a better place, looking for a safe haven, and what did they get in return? Became the very last things they wanted to be.

Out of frustration Tom raised his gun and fired a round of shots into the creature's head, killing it. A tense few minutes of silence hung in the room before Docherty led them into her living quarters. The older woman fixed up some coffee while the others sat down, grasping the reality. Martha shot Bad Wolf a look, and the other woman showed sympathy by nodding before moving to sit on the ground. She felt herself shiver inside again. Creet was a sweet little boy, and then he was forced into a sphere and killed for enjoyment. It was all sorts of levels of wrong.

Docherty came back in with the coffee, offering it to all of them to which they all kindly turned it down. Martha still felt like she was about to hurl, and she wasn't too keen to do so in a time like this. Not when the world was at stake. Again.

"I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones," Docherty said as she sat down in the chair beside her, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

Bad Wolf raised her head and looked at Martha while Tom moved over to hear the response. Nothing like having such an audience. She demurred at first, but then began to explain.

"Just before I escaped, the Doctor told me about a weapon he knew of." Reaching into her bag she pulled out the brown paper and unwrapped it, revealing three liquid vials in three different colors—yellow, red, and blue. She laid them out on the bed and continued. "The Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years, and they've been watched." She reached into her bag again to pull out a black case. "There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret. They made this. The ultimate defense."

Undoing the clasps she opened the case, and showed the others the gun with slots for the vials and a long syringe tip.

"All you need to do is get close," Tom said with a head shake as he raised his gun. "I can shoot the Master dead with this."

"Actually you can put that down now, thank you very much," Docherty told him before the man did so.

"Point is," Martha spoke up. "It's not so easy to kill a Time Lord. They can regenerate. Literally bring themselves back to life."

Docherty rolled her eyes. "Ah, the Master's immortal. Wonderful," she said irritably.

"Except for this." Martha held up the gun and palmed the blue vial. "Four chemicals slotted into the gun, inject him…kills a Time Lord permanently," she said with a grin.

Tom reached over and held the other vials. "Four chemicals? You've only got three."

"Still need the last one. 'Cause the components of this gun were kept safe, scattered across the world. And I found them—San Diego, Beijing, Budapest, and London."

"Where is it?" he asked.

"There's an old UNIT base, north London. I've found the access codes. Tom, you've _got_ to get me there. Now would be best."

"We can't go across London in the dark," To a said as he wrapped the vials back up in their paper while Martha encased the gun then placed it back in her bag. "It's full of wild dogs; we'd get eaten alive."

Martha registered his words but began to walk to the exit with Bad Wolf, who was suddenly standing at the doorway and staring hard at Docherty.

"We can wait til the morning, then go with the medical convoy," Tom continued.

"You can spend the night here if you like," Docherty suggested.

"No, we can get halfway," Tom told her. "Stay at the slave quarters in Bexley." He raised a hand to the woman. "Thank you, professor."

"Oh, and you," she said as she shook his hand. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Martha walked up and kissed her on the cheek, feeling Bad Wolf's glares still locked on the old woman. When she followed Tom out of the room, Docherty stopped her for a moment.

"Martha, could you do it?" she asked. "Could you actually kill him?"

It wasn't a dodgy question. The whole purpose of this plan was to stop the Master and restore balance to the world. Did that mean he was really going to die? Surely the Doctor wouldn't be thrilled about that…but then again that psychopath is the one responsible for Rose's death, and might make the other Time Lord more snappy than he already was when she left. But the Doctor wasn't aware of Bad Wolf's presence. She said time and time again that the Master would pay for all of the misery he's caused. Did that mean that she would kill him? The possibilities were endless.

All Martha could do was shake her head. "I've got no choice."

"You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me," the older woman said.

Without another word Martha turned to leave and met Tom outside, but Bad Wolf was nowhere to be found. "Your friend must've taken off," Tom told her.

Her brows furrowed. "Where'd she go?"

He shrugged. "You said she doesn't talk. Maybe she took a head start to make it to Bexley." He put on a thoughtful expression. "But that's not really close by. She couldn't possibly get there that fast, could she?"

"Well, she _is_ quick," Martha told him. "She was able to chase a sphere and catch it with ease, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was already there."

He smiled. "Guess that's what they teach in the MI6, then."

She returned the smile, but inside she was unsure. Where'd the Bad Wolf go?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Master lay in his bed with his fingers laced behind his head, staring up at the ceiling with a grin on his face. Lucy was asleep beside him, unsurprisingly, after another round of rough coital copulation. Honestly, how could one person have such low stamina? Oh, the disadvantages of being a human.

Well, that was _one_ of them. The whole population were just walking faults. And he actually made such a move as his last resort and became one to escape the War. He still shuddered inside when he thought about it. He was grateful he was able to open that watch, otherwise he wouldn't be where he is now.

The launch would be going off soon, and he was revelling in this feeling. Sure for nearly two years he's been having the time of his life as the master of the world, doing everything that he loved so much without shame and out of sheer enjoyment. Now that Rose has been long gone, and distant from his worries for a while. Just throwing it in the Doctor's face only made his victory that much sweeter. Having to stroll into the main conference room and see that bereft and defeated look in the old man's eyes was amusing in its own right.

Finally proving his superiority over the Doctor after all of these years was all that he had ever wanted. All of that hope that his ape of a wife had in him really paid off it seemed. How could he be labeled as the bad guy when he was constantly showing kindness to that woman and kept her company? He allowed her to live for so long - sure she had a few bumps and bruises, but they were all deserving since she was disobedient and impossibly pigheaded. Again, both her and her husband were alike in so many ways, it was literally meant to be. A disaster waiting to happen.

His communicator beeped, and he immediately grabbed it. "What is it?" the Master yelled into it.

**_"We've a sighting, sir,"_** a guard said.**_ "And it's one you'll be pleased with."_**

He didn't even try to hold back on the ear-to-ear smile spreading across his face.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

The Doctor lay down on his side in his cage, his eyes closed as he tried to get some rest. Of course that was impossible since he was aching. The tent, while that wasn't comfortable and luxurious either, was at least better than a cold, hard cage. The flight deck was empty and dark, not a soul bothering him as he was left alone. Not a sound filled the room other than his slight wheezing. Moments of peace like this were always needed in this hectic and unstable environment, but he knew he wouldn't reach his full level of equanimity until this nightmarish predicament came to an end once and for all. If his plan was going as he hoped then she should be arriving shortly. The rumors were being spread more and more with every minute that passed by.

Shifting a bit he was beginning to feel numb, so he switched to his opposite side with his back facing the doors. Letting out a deep breath he felt his bones rattling under his skin and he winced. It would take so much more than the sonic to heal these pains, but that's the long stretch he was going for. His eyes opened for a moment, and he instantly became irate. Though it was dark he could see the unpleasant items taped to the outside of the cage, staring directly at him in mockery. Two images of Rose—one of which was taken during her captivity, and the other her slain body after the Master ordered her to be shot. A constant reminder to himself that he caused all of this to happen.

He recalled what he had told her once he found out she had an extended lifetime: _You're a Human 2.0! Can survive a lot of things that would be too severe or life-threatening that would be issues to average humans. Well, of course not everything, for example gunshot or knife wounds in certain places, so please be careful. Anything's possible with you._

Rassilon, why did that have to keep coming back to him? He really jinxed himself when he said that. It wasn't her fault that the Master had done that to her, it was his destructive and nefarious nature. That didn't lessen the tension he felt inside, along with the hollow hole in his mind. He needed her to fill it up again, as soon as possible. Even if it was only pain he'd deal with it. He'd suffer through that if it meant he would get to see her beautiful face again.

Reaching a hand out the Doctor moved closer until his hand brushed the images. Weakly he ripped them off slowly, placing them beside him facing down. Those sights would be burned into his mind for a long time, along with the other unfortunate reels kept locked away. Turning back around he faced the doors again, staring off into the dark space before closing his eyes. For a moment he swore that he heard a far away melody coming to his ears. Like…one from his childhood. The one the TARDIS would play when he was distressed. Was he dreaming? For the last nine months he's heard the same thing, but always assumed it as his sanity slipping further and further.

But he also believed that somehow it was Rose.

Suddenly the lights turned on. The Doctor opened his eyes to find the Master sauntering in while wearing a silk dressing gown and a smug smile. Lovely. The man came over to the cage.

"Guess what?" he asked. "Your little associate has been found. Your plan's been foiled. Now I'll be able to add another Jones to my collection."

With great difficulty the Doctor moved to sit up, but remained silent.

"Have you nothing to say still?" the Master mocked. "Oh, Doctor. How did you become this way. Oh, right…because of me!" He laughed and smacked a hand on the cage, causing the Doctor to lose his balance and fall backwards while the structure shook violently. It came to a stop when the Master held it in his hands. "Aw, you took down the pictures," he said with a hurtful tone. "Those were for decoration, to give your quarters a little class and style." He tsked. "Not only are you a public menace, but you're just an avid supporter of vandalism."

"Says the man who's ravaged the whole world," the Doctor commented breathily.

The Master leaned in close. "And you will keep watching. Just you wait til the countdown. You'll see my greatest work yet." He studied him for a moment before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

The Doctor slumped back down on his bum and sighed. A faint whisper came to his mind, but the voice seemed unrecognizable. _"Soon,"_ it said. _"It will all end soon."_

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Roaming the darkened streets Martha and Tom came up a block of rowhouses. Martha looked around desperately for any sign of Bad Wolf, but it seemed as if she had just vanished into thin air. Very ghost-like indeed. She gave no heads up if she were focussing on her energy, though on a few occasions she decided not to inform her.

Where was she? Martha caught her staring at Docherty more than once, knowing that the older woman was about to betray them and disclose any information in exchange for her son's whereabouts. She couldn't be punishing her, could she? Yes, it may have been wrong, but the woman was desperate to fond her son in this hellhole that was home, and she was the guaranteed ticket to boarding the _Valiant._

Not coming from any experience but the wrath of the Bad Wolf would not be a pretty one, that was certain.

Tom stopped at one of the houses, knocking softly. He opened the mail slot and spoke quietly through it. "Let me in, it's Milligan."

The door opened and they rushed inside. Upon entering Martha looked around, appalled by the sight. People were jammed inside with very little room to move around. It was jus as bad as a refugee camp full of civilians sheltering from the bloodshed of war. Maybe worse. Of course she's seen worse around the world, but this wasn't that much better.

"Did you bring any food?" a woman asked Tom.

He shook his head. "Couldn't get any, and I'm starving."

"All we've got is water."

Tom turned his head to Martha when he caught her uneasiness. "It's cheaper than building barracks," he said. "Pack them in, a hundred in each house, ferry them off to the shipyards every morning."

"Are you Martha Jones?" a young boy asked from behind her.

"Yeah, that's me," she said with a faint smile.

"Can you do it? Can you kill him? They said you can kill the Master, can you? Tell us you can do it. Please tell us you can do it."

"Who is the Master?" a woman spoke up before the entire room erupted in rapid fire questions, one talking over another and another to the point where Martha couldn't keep track of everyone's desperation.

"Come on, just leave her alone," Tom cut in, causing the crowd to settle down. "She's exhausted."

"No, it's all right," Martha told him. "They want me to talk...and I will." They fanned out a bit to make some room for her to sit on the staircase as she began to speak.

"I travelled across the world. From the ruins of New York, to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I love him…he's one of the best friends I've ever had in my life. And I know what he can do. Both him and his wife, Rose Tyler. They're two of the dearest friends I've known. Together they face down all of the monsters that scare you, and save the world countless times."

Looking around at the hopeless faces surrounding her she felt her heart pang with sadness. It was a sight she's seen for a year all around the world. Getting used to it only made her sicker, but she had an important job to do. But where was Bad Wolf? She's yet to return from…wherever it was she went off to.

"It's okay to be afraid," she continued. "I understand the pain you're all dealing with in this hopeless situation, fearing whether or not you'll see the light of day ever again. The Master has done this to you. He took away your loved ones and left you to hide in the darkness as the storm came from the sky. But the Doctor…he's gonna stop him. He may have been beaten to the floor, but he stood right back up. He may have been weakened, but he remains strong. His own wife was killed by that madman all in am attempt to break him. The Doctor's lost so much…but he keeps going. Because that's what he does. While his own personal battles get to him he never bows down, never gives in to what life throws at him, and does all he can to save the world. And that's what he'll do now. The Master may be the monster that frightens you, but the Doctor is the man that fights those monsters. I promise you…he's gonna save you all."

"It's him!" one of the voices cried as a woman ran over to the door and peeked through the mail slot. "It's him! Oh, my God, it's him! It's the Master! He's here!"

Martha stood from the stairs as the young boy from earlier spoke. "But he never comes to Earth! He never walks upon the ground!"

"Hide her!" the woman cried.

Tom reached over and grabbed a blanket. "Use this!" He threw it to the crowd and they immediately went to work in wrapping it around her frame. Then they pulled her down to make sure she was hidden. Everyone remained silent.

"He walks among us," the boy said quietly. "Our lord and master."

Tom positioned himself with his gun, aiming at the door in case of any forced entry. But Martha figured that the Master would attempt to lead her out.

"Martha!" the Master called from outside on the streets. A shiver shot through her but she kept her composure. "Martha Jooooones. I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your Master." He paused. "Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions! I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself—what would the Doctor do?"

Trembling underneath the blanket Martha held her breath. This was it. This was her way to get onboard the Valiant and to take down the Master once and for all. The Doctor's plan was coming together, and the final act was coming. But the where the hell was the Bad Wolf? She couldn't have run out of power, could she?

Martha raised a hand and placed it over her TARDIS key, brushing her fingers over it before taking it off completely followed by shrugging off the blanket. All eyes were on her, widened and alarmed by her actions. Offering a faint smile she walked past Tom and pushed his gun aside as she went up to the door. He also gave her a look of complete shock. Taking a deep breath she opened the door ans walked out into the street, straightening herself upright and adjusting her bag.

The Master was a number of feet away from her and smiled widely once he caught her, clapping his hands. "Oh, yes! Oh, very well done! Good girl! He trained you well." He nodded at her, saying curtly, "Bag. Give me the bag." She stepped closer, only to be stopped when he raised a hand. "No, stay there. Just throw it."

Glaring at him she shrugged off her bag and threw it at him, making it land right at by his feet. His eyes flitted between her and the pack before he took out his laser screwdriver, pointing it at the bag as he destroyed it. Raising it up, he held it out towards her.

"And now, good companion…your work is done."

"No!"

Martha whipped around to find Tom running out of the house with his gun, preparing to shoot. But it was no use as the Master shot him in the chest with the yellow beam exiting from the screwdriver, killing him dead. The madman chuckled when he pulled it away.

"Such a pity," he commented. "And I'm not referring to that pretend soldier." He twirled his screwdriver in his hand. "A death like that isn't as enjoyable. When you die, the Doctor should be a witness, hmm? Just like with his precious wife, poor little Rose. Twice the damage." He chuckled again and inhaled deeply. "It's almost dawn, Martha," he said. "And planet Earth marches to war."

He motioned for guards to grab a hold of her, and they complied by forcing her into handcuffs. She didn't even put up a fight as they roughly pushed her towards the helicopter landed at the end of the street. It was time for the plan to finally come together fully. But the secret weapon still hasn't shown herself. Martha still had faith in the Bad Wolf, much like she still had faith in the Doctor.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Just a matter of hours. That's all that was left until the final act. And it would come quicker than normal. Perched outside on the rowhouse Bad Wolf had listened carefully to Martha's inspiring little speech about the Doctor she was giving to the victims, and how he will save the world no matter how hopeless the situation has become. It was beautiful to say the least. That woman has come such a long way, and what she was doing in there was no different than what she's been spreading throughout the entire world. Just hearing it over and over again made her a little more irate, however. Mainly because of every mention of the Master. That diseased pariah would suffer for what he has done. She would make sure of it.

Using a small smidgen of energy she sent a message to her Doctor in his desperate times of needs, just as she's done for the last nine months. Even tried to transfer the soft lullabies sung to him when he was a child, ones calming and luxurious in their comfort. It wasn't much, but he was always one for dwelling on the negative, taking the fall for things he wasn't at fault for. Her poor Doctor, full of penance. In his times of despondency she was sure to sent him reassuring messages, disguising her actual presence, just to lift his spirits a little in such a hopeless situation.

She already took care of the issue with Professor Docterty, hence the reason why she departed from Martha for a short while. That woman was a traitor. Full of such trepidation that she submitted to it with ease. And she did it just to know of her son's whereabouts. In this kind of environment if one's loved ones were missing, chances were that they were deceased. And she told the woman that was the fate her son met. Of course she wasn't too thrilled about that and was distraught, but her betrayal proved to be an act of futility.

Maybe not so much as it was Martha's way to get onboard the Valiant. Though Bad Wolf could've easily teleported themselves up to the skies, but then again her powers were still limited as the paradox machine was still intact. The more she focussed on her energy the more she felt herself flourishing, which was a good sign. However it wasn't as strong as she wanted it to be. The only way it would be was when she was closer to the source.

Deep inside she could feel Rose's apprehension, and that was still expected since she was merely an apparition. Of course they were one with each other, and wherever they walked she was able to see through her own eyes. When this was over though, it may seem like nothing more than a blurry haze. And that would be beneficial given the traumatic experiences she's dealt with over the course of her immuration. That diseased mind that belonged to the Master was poisonous, a contaminant to the universe. The Doctor has been haunted with the guilt of what that man had become, his once good friend he knew as Koschei, but none of it was his fault. The drums plagued his mind and drove him away from sanity and stability long ago.

As if on cue the outcast arrived in a jeep, a helicopter flying above as it landed many a feet away. There he was. All dressed in his political attire with guards in their usual positions behind him. Bad Wolf watched intently, keeping her perception to others hidden as she wasn't revealing herself to the Master just yet. There was a time and a place for it, and it wasn't right here and now. But soon. Martha exited the with compliance to the Master's orders and tossed him the bag containing the gun. Perfect. It's all going according to the plan. A moment later she was taken away in handcuffs, headed straight for the helicopter.

Bad Wolf kept her eyes fixed on the Master's, digging deep into his gaze as he glanced around the street, a complacent smile tugging at his lips. Such self-congratulatory arrogance. But there was fear lingering inside of him, he was trying to mask it. She saw through him, though. Nothing has changed other than his face. His reign of power would crumble to the ground, falling to dust as he came to terms with his failure. A cold chill in the air blew past her, feeling like steel as she inhaled deeply. Dawn would be coming soon. She felt the pulsing of the Earth beneath her skin as she moved swiftly off of the roof and onto the ground.

The final act was approaching, and order will be restored.

* * *

**_"…and wait for the Wolf who should be coming directly."_ If you get that reference, I'll request the highest of fives.**

**Response to the anonymous guest reviewer: Don't worry, hun, Rose will come back ;)**

**Response to ****_Alymariet:_ Thank you! :D Yeah, sorry about that heartbreak a few chapters back, but a reunion will be coming soon ^^**


	64. Last of the Time Lords Part 3

**A/N: I'm working on the last couple of chapters of this, and having a few fits. I'm moving forward though, so no worries. ****Much, much love to you lovely reviewers and followers! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 64: Last of the Time Lords Part 3**_

The moment was coming. The countdown would be starting soon, and everyone had to be ready.

Martha was escorted roughly into the flight deck of the Valiant by two guards, their grip on her never letting up. To the side of the room she was relieved to see her family held under guards as well, appearing safe at least physically. God only knows what terrible things have happened around here to cause any nightmares. Like Rose's death, for instance. Jack was brought in by another guard, his wrists bound together while his face was corroded with dirt and his clothes torn apart.

Then her eyes fell on the Doctor, his small figure enclosed in his cage as he slowly stood up. She pressed her lips together and gave him an imperceptible nod. Everything was going to fall into place. If only he knew the Bad Wolf would make an appearance. Right? Where was she? Of course the whole plan could still work out if she wound up not arriving since the Archangel Network would still work at the countdown. She was the secret weapon, the last resort. But she was a part of Rose, and they were connected to the Doctor, and would do any and everything to save the Doctor.

The Master stood on the bridge up ahead, a smile on his face as she came to a stop by the stairs. She watched him warily, sterling herself for what was coming.

"Your teleport device," he said, holding out his hand. "In case you thought I'd _forgotten."_ Doing as told, she pulled the vortex manipulator from her pocket and tossed it over to him. "And now…kneel." She went down to her knees and stared up at him as he pocketed the wrist strap. He pulled out his laser screwdriver and pointed it at her. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe." He turned to the intercom. "Are we ready?"

**_"The fleet awaits your signal,"_** a voice responded. **_"Rejoice!"_**

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters," he said before shouting happily. "Counting down!"

Looking over at a clock on the wall Martha saw the seconds begin to count down, and she readied herself. It was coming. The final act.

"I never could resist a ticking clock," the Master said. "My children, are you ready?"

"We will fly and blaze and slice! We will fly and blaze and slice!" the spheres chanted excitedly in unison.

"At zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die," the Master continued. "Any last words? No?" She remained silent and kept her face neutral as he turned to face the Doctor. "Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless! Bow your head," he ordered, and she did so. "And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords! From this day forward—" He stopped talking when Martha began to chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"A gun?" she asked.

He stared at her, his face full of confusion. "What about it?"

"A gun in _four parts_?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it," he reminded her, as-a-matter-of factly.

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world?" She rolled her eyes at him. He really was as stupid as Bad Wolf had told. "I mean, come on, did you really believe that?"

The Master studied her. "What do you mean?"

"As if I would ask her to _kill,"_ the Doctor spoke up from his cage.

Martha bit her lip. For a second she noticed the fear in the Master's eyes—fear that the Doctor was two steps ahead of him once again, about to foil his plans and save the world just as he always had.

"It doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her."

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do," Martha said, making him turn back to face her. "The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here. At the right time."

He raised his brows. "Oh, but you're still gonna die."

"Don't you wanna know what I was doing? Travelling the world?"

He chuckled through his nose once, and shrugged. "Tell me," he said as he sat down on the stairs.

"I told a story," she told him. "That's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor, about his fight and his reasons. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and hope?" he said derisively. "Is that all?"

Martha stood up. "No. 'Cause I gave them an instruction. Just as the Doctor said. I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

"Nothing will happen!" he hissed as he stood to his feet, towering over her. "Is that your weapon? _Prayer?"_

_One of them_, she thought to herself. "Right across the world," Martha Jones said with a smile. "One word, just one thought, at one moment…but with fifteen satellites!"

A nasty glare crossed his eyes. "What?" he demanded.

"The Archangel Network," Jack spoke up.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together," Martha added, feeling accomplished. "With all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word…" she didn't bother to hide the wide grin spreading on her face. "Is _Doctor_."

The countdown ended, and everyone did as she had told—whispering the name of the man who would save them all. Doctor.

Martha smiled as she spoke. "Doctor."

Her family closed their eyes, whispering, "Doctor."

Jack did the same. "Doctor."

Even Lucy, who stood off to the side began to repeat, "Doctor."

Every person around the world, children and adults alike, remembering every single story she had told, every moment the Doctor had inspired thousands by doing what he did best and saving the universe, every moment of faith between him and Rose, his wife. Martha recalled every one of their loving moments that she saw and warmed her insides; the two of them kissing, the two of them bouncing around the console together dancing along to a tune, laughing and giggling and running. Running across the stars as they were meant to.

The sound of a howling wolf came over the room, but it didn't stop anyone from thinking. However all eyes fell on the double doors at the back of the room once they opened…revealing the Bad Wolf speaking in an indistinguishable language, her eyes closed as she spoke.

"What the hell is _this_?" The Master demanded, the fear evident in his tone as his eyes widened.

From inside his cage the Doctor gasped at the sight before him and nearly buckled to his knees. It was something he was only able to see in his dreams, the only way he could receive any comfort. It was Rose. No…it was the Bad Wolf. Her wavy, blonde curls lightly blew against the breeze that followed her as she made her entrance, the clothes she wore were definetly not the kind of attire that Rose would wear—all baggy and tan—but they went along with the character. An ancient goddess. He felt a warmness spread all over him as she was bathed in a golden light. The songs he's been hearing in his mind for the past nine months replayed in his mind, assuring his safety and peace.

"I have been waiting to make my return for nine months," she said, opening her eyes as a golden light poured out of them. "Preserving my energy until the right time. Waiting to wave justice onto you. You have ravaged the world with your heinous acts and criminal ambitions. You have doubted the minds of the innocent, and taken them away. You have abused your power to those around you, driven by your megalomaniac and egotistical tendencies. You've hurt the Doctor, and every one of your faults will soon be reversed and fixed properly."

"This is impossible!" the Master cried before he glanced around the room as the whispers continued. "No, no, no, no," he said. "Stop it!"

"It will not be stopped," Bad Wolf said. "Not now."

The Master shook his head, his eyes widened. "But…but this can't be! You're supposed to be dead! You're not supposed to exist!"

"And yet here I stand," she told him firmly. "Did you honestly believe that you could do away with Rose Tyler? You were afraid of her—afraid of me. It was the very reason why you tried to execute her; you feared of what she would do to you. And you have every right to be. Your human companion knew well, and you refused to listen to her. You brought this all on yourself. You may have cannibalized the TARDIS, used her energy as the power source, but there was a flaw in your plans, just like all of your others over the years. You only listen to those drums in your mind that you were negligent when it came to thinking. You cannot stop one from having faith."

"Faith is not a weapon!" he yelled frantically. "It-it just isn't—"

"Of course it is! And it's one of the most powerful weapons in the world. You couldn't break Rose Tyler, just like you couldn't break the Doctor. _My _Doctor. It was all they held onto over the course of their incarceration, much like every being out there. The situation was hopeless, but they became inspired. You're afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, Master. And you have failed."

"Stop it," the Master said desperately. "No, no, no, no, you don't!"

The Doctor blinked in shock. This was impossible. How could the Bad Wolf exist when Rose…

Did he really have to question? He knew he wouldn't understand the answer at the moment. But just being able to witness her divine beauty after lying around in the dark for so long was enough to lift his spirits up. And he felt his body do the same. Bad Wolf raised her hands and the golden light surrounding him mixed with the blue and white shades, forming an energy field. His cage melted from the waves before dissolving completely. He felt himself levitate as his aching body began to transform, de-aging himself as he became younger, hovering in the air.

_"Doctor, my love,"_ he heard Bad Wolf whisper, joining the others around the world.

"Stop this right now!" the Master yelled. "Stop it!"

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices," the Doctor said.

"I order you to stop!"

"For nine months I've done the same," Bad Wolf told. "Immediately following Rose Tyler's death. But you didn't really kill her. Her essence was preserved, and you released the Wolf."

Just hearing the words 'Rose Tyler' and 'death' were enough to pain the Doctor's hearts again, but she was standing before him in all of her graceful elegance, helping him with the plan. And that's what happened. For nine months she became an additional part of his plan, and he didn't even know it. Through that whole time he was right; she was watching over him, his angel.

He felt himself rejuvenating, returning to his original, younger self—his proper body. "The one thing you can't do," he told him. "Stop them thinking." The Master stared up at him in shock, his eyes flitting between him and Bad Wolf. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this."

"No!" the Master shouted as he raised his laser screwdriver and fired at the Doctor, but the energy field was too strong for it to create any damage.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said with disgust. Usually he would say the phrase with such sincerity, but not now. Not after everything the Master has done to those innocent lives, to himself, and especially to Rose. "I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill your wife again!" the other Time Lord shouted as he aimed at Bad Wolf, but she reached one of her hands out and turned the screwdriver into dust. "No!" he cried in a panicking tone.

"You've brought this all on yourself," Bad Wolf ground out.

"No! No, no!" the Master repeated.

Both the Doctor and Bad Wolf slowly approached the man—the former still hovering in the air above the other man, and the latter sauntering over, her eyes golden and full of fury.

The Master backed away from them both as he moved down the stairs. "You can't do…it's not fair!" he cried like a spoiled little kid.

"_Fair_?!" Both the Doctor and Bad Wolf repeated angrily in unison.

"Was it fair that you tampered with the inherent and logical purpose of a paradox by creating a paradox _machine?"_ Bad Wolf asked angrily. "All of those refugees at the end of the universe that were mutilated and placed into cold, hard shells instinctively bred to kill?"

"Was it fair when you when you wiped out the entire human population and turned them all into slaves?" the Doctor added with equal rage. "When all of those children were separated from their parents? When all of those cities and countries were destroyed?"

Bad Wolf let out a low growl. "Was it fair when you captured the Jones family and allowed them to be captives and your servants?"

The Doctor's fists trembled at his sides, causing him to ball them up into tight fists, his nails digging into the soft skin of both palms. "What about when you killed Rose?" he ground out through clenched teeth. "Was it fair that you _killed my wife_?"

The Master cowered in the corner of the room, crouching into a ball with his hands over his head, ducking and trembling. The Doctor finally landed on the ground, while Bad Wolf stopped where she stood, a few feet away. The energy field dispersed from around his body as Bad Wolf raised a hand to force the Master up to his feet. He whimpered as she balled her hand into a fist, making him scream before she threw him hard to the ground by the Doctor's feet.

The Doctor snorted disdainfully. "Look at this. The _Master,"_ he said derisively as he stared down at the fearful man. "The man who wants control of everything and everyone around him. A man who believed he was the savior of the world who was only driven by madness and his own ego just to get what he wanted."

"No!" the Master cried. "My children!"

"Protect the paradox! Protect the paradox!" the spheres chanted frantically.

Bad Wolf's eyes widened. She ran out of time before she could give the Master the true punishment he deserved. She needed a little more time, and she had just enough energy to do so.

"Captain!" the Doctor shouted. "The paradox machine!"

Jack immediately sprinted off out of the room in the direction of the TARDIS, ordering Martha to stay with her family. In the corner of her eye she saw the Master reach into his pocket to pull out the vortex manipulator.

"No!" both she and the Doctor hollered in unison. He dropped to the ground and grabbed a hold of him just as Bad Wolf raised her hands, emitting a screeching sound as a golden light washed over the three of them before a white light exploded.

A moment later the Doctor and the Master ended up in a scuffle together on the ground, growling at each other like rabid animals. Neither one of them registered their surroundings, nor did they care of the audience that would be watching, as they wrestled each other.

The Master got a throw in as he connected with the Doctor's jaw, the metal of his ring scraping his skin. Another hit came, harder than the first and drew blood in his mouth. He made another hit just above his eyebrow, also cutting. The Doctor attempted to escape from the man's grip, but suddenly had his wrists bound together above his head as he was pinned to the ground.

"Always sticking your nose in my plans," the Master snarled. "Not anymore. It ends now, Doctor! It ends _now!"_

"We've got control of the _Valiant,"_ the Doctor told him, fighting in the man's grasp. "You can't launch."

"Oh, but I've got this," the other man said, shifting to hold his wrists in one hand as he pulled out a device with the other. "Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, Doctor, then neither can _you. _We shall stand upon this Earth together as it burns! You have no power! None! I don't care what little weapons you've got, you're powerless. Neither you or even your ape of a wife could stop me!"

That was all it took for the Doctor to hit his breaking point and finally do what he's wanted to do for an entire year. Squirming in the man's hold he managed to grab a hold of the Master's lapels and threw a right hook that connected with the man's jaw. He laughed and the Doctor hit him again—harder. The other Time Lord stumbled back, dropping the device while the Doctor pushed himself up to his knees. The Master retaliated as he made a swing of his own, hitting the Doctor square in his nose, breaking it. It didn't slow him down as he grabbed the back of the Master's head and did the same action, sending the man sprawling out on the ground with a broken nose as well.

The Doctor crawled over to madman and unleashed a round of powerful punches. The crunching sounds of each blow were registered from both men, and the Doctor didn't care. For a year—_one whole bloody year_—he's been wanting to do such a thing to the Master. He's thrown every form of abuse, save sexually, thank Rassilon, on Rose. Now he would a small helping of it throw back at him. For every drop of blood and tears she shed throughout her confinement. For every bone he broke by force. For every new scar he created.

A faint whisper followed by a song in his mind settled him down. The same one that kept his sanity intact for the past nine months. Something he's missed for so long. He was losing it. Losing _himself._ As furious as he wanted to release all of his anger out on the man that abused his wife then killed her in cold blood while he was forced to watch, he had better control than this. He had every right to do this, though. Rose would've wanted him to retaliate. Wouldn't she?

This was exactly what the Master wanted—to break him completely. In other circumstances—or not—he would've continued. But he stopped. That part of his conscience was tugging at him, telling him to. Taking deep breaths the Doctor lowered his fist and stared down at the battered face that was the Master's. The man looked at him with heavy lidded eyes, almost as if shocked by such actions. He was shocked himself. _He _did that. He could feel the bile rising in his throat at the sight. With a grunt the Doctor rolled off to the side, spitting out the blood from his mouth.

"How about that," the Master choked out as he remained laying on the ground. "Seems as though you've got a spine after all. You're filled with such rage. You've got some fight in you, and none of that Venusian Aikido rubbish—_actual_ fight. We're not so different, you and I, you know."

"No," the Doctor hissed. "No, we're definitely different from each other. We've _never_ been the same. I have my limits, and know not to become anything close to the monster that you are. The reason why either of us fight are radically different and for different purposes. You fight because that's your nature. Because everything in the world has to belong solely to you. That every single being in existence must unwillingly bow down to you. You fight because of your self-destructive ego; I fight because I've got something worth fighting for."

"And let me guess, it's all because you have _faith_ in your wife?" the Master said mockingly. "So much reverence in your precious little _Rose."_

The Doctor stood on his knees and grabbed the Master's tie, hauling him up. "You will _never_ mention her, d'you hear me?" he growled. "You're not worthy of even saying her _name."_ He threw him down and tried to steady his breathing. "Weapon after weapon after weapon," he said with seriousness, wiping the blood that began to drip from his eyebrow and nose with the back of his hand. "All you ever do is talk and talk and _talk, _but over all these years and all these disasters, I've always had the greatest secret of them all. I _know_ you. Explode those ships, you kill yourself. That's the one thing you can never do. You would never want your own life to be taken away, not even if it meant you would win in the end. And right now, you've lost. Face that reality, and accept your loss."

Wait a minute…the ship.

He lifted his head to look for the device that would launch the black holes. It was gone. Before he could search for it, he took the chance to take in his surroundings for the first time since arriving and being involved in the scuffle with the Master. A deep shade of blue hung above them, like a dome of some sorts, waves of energy consisting of a mixture of goods and whites radiating off of the 'walls', lingering in the air. Standing to his feet slowly he raised a hand, feeling the waves along his fingertips like a cool liquid solution. Looking around he noticed humanoid silhouettes, darkened vignettes with white trimming on the facial features. He had a pretty good idea of what happened, but couldn't believe it for a moment. He raised his brows in astonishment.

Time was stilled, and they were in some sort of bubble. Turning around the Doctor was met with the Bad Wolf, his mouth hanging open at the sight of her beauty once again. "You did this," he said softly.

"Obviously," she responded.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I didn't want to go just yet. Thought I'd stick around for a few more minutes."

"But the paradox machine—"

"It's fine. Time is frozen right before it was touched. I've still got enough energy to allow this," she gestured around them. "Nothing too serious, but I wasn't about to fade away right now."

"Y-you shouldn't even _exist!"_ the Master cried from the ground. "You were—"

He suddenly cut himself off when Bad Wolf snapped her fingers. The Doctor turned around and noticed that the man was frozen in place, the blood still appearing wet on his lips while his body remained still. He faced Bad Wolf again, who shook her head.

"I'll deal with him soon," she said. "I need to speak with you."

The Doctor was curious to know exactly how she intended to deal with the Master, but he brushed that aside. They both slowly walked over to each other before coming to a stop. He studied her in awe.

"How long have you got?" he asked.

She tilted her head. "About ten minutes, more or less. Not much time considering the paradox machine is about to be destroyed."

"How are you here?"

Bad Wolf arched an eyebrow. "You really don't know? Thought I made that clear earlier when I arrived."

"No no no," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "I mean, _properly._ You said that Rose wasn't really dead."

"Well, she _did_ die," Bad Wolf told him. "Her essence was preserved and kept intact thanks to me, and our connection to the TARDIS."

He closed his eyes for a moment at the mention of Rose dying and raised a hand. "I'm familiar with…fundamental externalisms, and all of their properties and functions, as impossible as they are, but _how_ is that possible? I would've been able to sense you."

"While I walked along with Martha Jones, keeping a low profile and making myself unnoticed," she replied. "I've been focussing on my energy until the final countdown. I only revealed myself to Martha and shortly to two civilians—a member of pediatrics, and a professor; one became a traitor, and the other was executed. Other than that I kept my perception discreet. Even if I were to reveal myself more in the duration of nine months, you still wouldn't be able to feel me. My powers were limited since I was far from the source, as damaged as it was."

"But…all of those songs," he pointed out. "Every once in a while at night I'd hear those songs. At first I thought they were just hallucinations, but then I thought…it was Rose, somehow." Bad Wolf nodded. Warmth spread inside of him. Like always, his guardian angel looming over him.

"Rose fought hard and never gave up. She even requested that she visit you after her death, just before the two of us merged and joined Martha across the world."

His brows furrowed. Then he remembered the nightmarish day when the Master ordered Rose to be shot, and the excruciating pain that followed both in his hearts and mind. But then he felt something _right._ Something normal, but he had a delayed reaction to it. She brushed her lips against his just once, assuring him that everything would be okay. A reminder that he would get her back. The hollow hole was still there, but it felt…fuzzy. Perhaps it was because Bad Wolf was in front of him? Unless…Rose was trying to make herself known.

"She-she's still here, right?" he asked shakily. "Rose is okay?"

"Of course she is, my Doctor," Bad Wolf said with a smile. "We are connected to each other forever. There cannot be one without the other—much like yourself. The Thief is never without his loyal Wolf."

The Doctor smirked and chuckled through his nose, blood still trickling out. He let it go as he stood in the presence of his wife. Well, the entity that was a part of her, that was. It seemed that way. There couldn't be one without the other, even in isolation they were always near each other.

"She suffered," he said sadly. "All of that pain. I-I _caused_—_"_

"Hush," Bad Wolf said, placing a hand on his cheek. "You should know for a fact that you were not the one who put her through all of that torture or ordered someone to pull the trigger. The Diseased One is the man who is held accountable for all of the damage done. Not you."

The Doctor swallowed hard. "He's a Time Lord. That makes him my responsibility."

"And that makes you mine," Bad Wolf told him. "With that said, I will be the one to deal with him. You've already had a pretty eventful day, along with the additional year of confinement. That should entitle you for some calmness."

"Calmness?"

"You initiated violence, and that's highly unlike you."

He was always adamant about handling situations without anything of the such, but he had snapped. "I…" he paused as he lowered his eyes again. "He killed Rose," he said quietly. "He killed my _wife._ I just…I couldn't control it, I lost myself."

"But then you stopped," Bad Wolf reminded. "And why was that?"

He inhaled a shaky breath. "Because I heard Rose. Like…she knew what I was becoming and wanted to stop me before I lost myself completely." That was always the case; a rage so high that reached a dangerous level was cooled down whenever that woman was there.

A sudden tingling feeling brushed across his face, almost like bristles that made him want to scratch the itches. His swollen eye began to shrink, pulsing as he blinked rapidly. He felt his nose restructuring, going back to its original shape as the blood that had been dripping out of his nostrils faded away. He scrunched up his nose and sniffed. His jaw clicked as the cut stitched back together, the blood staining his teeth disappearing. His wounds were healed.

"Much better," Bad Wolf said. "Not much energy had to be used, but that doesn't matter. You can be very injury prone, you know."

"Well, it seems to be the norm," he replied, clearing his throat. "Can you change back? Can Rose come back?"

"She will return to you shortly."

"Alive?" he said hopefully.

Bad Wolf arched an eyebrow. "That depends."

His hearts clenched. "On what? What d'you mean?"

"Are you willing to allow the paradox machine to be destroyed properly?"

"Of course I am," he told her. "I ordered Jack to do just that before…" he nodded at the dome around them. "This happened. Why wouldn't I?"

"It's…a bit risky," she admitted. "A whole year is about to disappear."

"Maybe so, but it'll save the world and Rose. I know it will. After everything she went through, she's gonna be brought back. She fought for her life all this time, lived through Hell for twenty-one months with a vile and utterly insane, raving lunatic, has taken so much abuse and didn't break her shell. Rose is strong, and I know for a fact she's still fighting as we speak."

Bad Wolf nodded. "She is. How do you think I was created? Because of her. To any average human absorbing so much power was meant to burn her up. But she was exceptional. It made her stronger than the average human, made her the perfect person for you. Rose Tyler is a fighter; always has been, and always will be."

Truer words have never been spoken. "Oh, yes," he said proudly. "Yes, she is." It was the very reason why he kept on fighting; because of her.

"Now," she continued. "You knew, just as much as I did, that the paradox machine was not to be tampered with until the appropriate time."

The Doctor nodded. "And everything would be restored once it was destroyed."

"And you know what else happens?"

He licked his lips. "Well, the sole purpose of the machine was to allow a future generation cross into their ancestors' timelines and murder them without making the universe collapse because of the grandfather paradox. And once destroyed at the end of the countdown…time would reverse. Everything that happened would be undone."

"Exactly. And you know what that means for Rose once time reverses at the moment it was activated fully?"

He gulped, knowing the answer. It pained him, and he knew when Rose would return the ache would only worsen more. "Rose would remember everything," he said regrettably, his eyes downcast. It was pretty obvious. She died on the _Valiant,_ meaning that she would be in the eye of the storm and would have to live with the horrific memories of her death.

"No, she won't," Bad Wolf replied.

"What?" he asked, perplexed as he brought his gaze back up to the entity's golden eyes.

"Rose Tyler was never onboard the _Valiant._ Not in all of her twenty-one months of imprisonment, and definitely not during her death." He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. "She moved around a lot, and was always unaware of her new surroundings, but none of the locations were up here."

Well…that was a bit reassuring. A bit, that was. "Really?"

"The Master only used her for bait," Bad Wolf explained, shooting a look over the Doctor's shoulder at the man being mentioned. "Deceiver, he is. Kept moving her around as if she were a pet. But he used her to get to you…or rather for you to get to him. He knew of the strong faith between the two of you, knew how much he couldn't break her, so he kept you far away from each other."

That made sense. "What about all of this?" he gestured at her body. "Is she gonna remember being…you?"

Bad Wolf pressed her lips together. "Not…really. Technically once the entire year becomes non-existent I wouldn't have made an appearance because Rose Tyler wouldn't have died. However there are chances of ripple effects where images would suddenly come to her, but they'd only be like dreams. You would remember it, but once you reactivate your bond she would see it. To her, though, they're merely dreams."

The Doctor closed his eyes. He supposed it was still relieving, but he didn't want any of this to happen regardless. "Then…where is she?" he asked. "Her body, that is, not…her spirit."

"I'll lend you the coordinates here," she lifted the hand off of his cheek to hover over his temple. "A special package for you to open. But don't go barging into it right away. Wait until the time is right to open it. Okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "I promise."

"Hope so. You're a clever boy, but can be a bit of a rebel."

He chuckled through his nose. That was true, but he was going to take the message and handle it delicately. Her fingers came to rest at his temple. Closing his eyes he felt the warm sensations he's missed for so long. He saw the small box entering his mind as it was placed down gently in the entrance, secured with a golden light to keep it closed until further notice. He inhaled a shuddering breath. For nine months he's been aching to feel even the slightest brush against his mind, not just the bare whispers in his ears that drowned out the buzzing.

"Soon, you will have all of that again, my love," Bad Wolf assured.

_"'M there, Doctor."_

The whispering sound of Rose's voice made his breath hitch before he trembled, a small smile spreading across his face. And it was her. Truly her, with the same accent. His wife was safe and he would able to reunite with her after this was over. They had a lot to overcome, what with the whole incarcerated Hell they've been in, but he would finally be able to see her, to hold her, to kiss her, to have her back in his life.

Opening his eyes he was met with Bad Wolf smiling warmly. A single stray tear slid down his face. His savior, always there. "Thank you," he said softly. "Both of you."

"Rose Tyler and I are one in the same," Bad Wolf told him. "I love you, my Doctor," she said with Rose's voice. "Always."

She raised one of her hands and held his cheek once more, then pressed a soft kiss to his lips…

And then he froze.

With a snap of her fingers Bad Wolf stilled the Doctor in place, and pulled away from him. Her poor Doctor. Always taking the blame for things that were not his fault. Self-reproach was one of his bad habits, one he may never be able to break. But he would be rewarded soon. But right now, she was about to cure the disease. She had one more thing to do before she faded away and order would be restored.

Walking over to where the Master lay, she snapped her fingers and brought him back to movement. "—killed in the…" he continued from where his last words were cut off prior to her freezing him. He glanced up at her, his eyes widened in fear. As they should be. "W-what are you doing?"

"Ridding the world from its plaguing disease," she said in a hard voice, allowing her eyes to burn furiously at him.

"You can't," he said with a shaky voice. "You wouldn't do such a thing."

She cocked her head to the side. "Wouldn't I?"

"Y-you're Rose Tyler, someone full of empathy. The Doctor's precious _w__ife._ Surely he wouldn't allow you to do such a thing."

"Apparently you are blind," Bad Wolf replied. "Rose Tyler is a part of me. We are one. And right now…swift justice is about to be served for the inadmissible crimes you have committed."

"No no no," he repeated dumbly as he remained seated on the ground, foolishly backing up and away from her in an attempt to escape.

"You cannot run from your punishment. Retribution will be casted upon you."

"It-it's…" he paused for a moment. "The drums. Can't you hear them? You're a powerful being, surely you should be able to hear them—"

"It's only you," she interrupted. "Only inside your head."

"No, if you were to just listen…"

Raising her hands she brought the Master to his feet, locking his arms against his side's to prevent him from struggling out of her hold. Of course he wouldn't be able to free himself from her grasp. The fear was radiating off of the man, strong waves being whisked away by her golden light. She could see into his mind, hear the drumbeat, the rhythm of his hearts. It _was_ real. She placed a hand on his head, digging deeper. A call to war, it was, but there was more. She went further in the timeline and saw something that wasn't meant to be.

A signal. From the Time Lords.

It seemed as though they were planning something. An act of cowardice to attempt escaping their fate that was the Time War. They didn't want to die; they wanted to ascend to glory and reign over Earth. It was basically suicidal. Not really a wise tactic. It would be the end of Time itself, and it was wrong. That was the true reason why the Master was resurrected—he was the signal to bring Gallifrey out of the Timelock.

No. That wasn't supposed to happen. She had to stop it. Digging deeper into the twisted mind of the Master she noticed that behind the perturbation was someone who would rather succumb to fate. To die, and never regenerate. So she would grant him his wish. But not kindly.

"Don't," he strangled out.

"Too late," Bad Wolf told him. "The rhythm pounding in your mind will be silenced…along with the one in your chest."

Stepping up to him she placed her palms over his hearts, making him gasp and writh around with nowhere to go. Her eyes burned as she pressed inward, the consistency of her hands morphing and becoming transparent as she entered his chest. Her destination was met as two blackened hearts were grasped in each of her hands. Tightening her fingers around them she squeezed, making him wail. Another moment later they were turned to dust. He gasped and she stared him straight in the eye. The disease was gone. Both of them. Removing her hands she made them solid again before letting him fall flat on his back on the ground, choking and gasping before freezing him again.

She eyed the signet ring that he wore around his finger with a large, green jewel inlaid in silver, the one that had done damage when he threw punches. Bending down, she picked it up and studied it one last time before turning that into dust as well. Straightening herself up Bad Wolf brushed off her hands and walked back over to the Doctor, still frozen in his place.

She knew he wouldn't accept the way she handled the Master, but it was appropriate. The man had no plans to regenerate anyway, she saw it in his mind. He was a broken mess, too far gone to be saved. Now he was at peace, as painful as she made it for him. It was deserved. The appropriate punishment was given, and now her time was just about up.

Returning to her original position Bad Wolf snapped her fingers once more, allowing the Doctor to be mobile as they kissed. It was only for a few short moments before she made the dome around them collapse, bringing time back into motion. Just before she faded away, she reminded him telepathically, _"Remember the package, my love."_

Then she was gone.

* * *

**You guys catch that little bit that will be important for the future about the timelock? Hope so. **


	65. Last of the Time Lords Part 4

**A/N: What we've all been waiting for. Yay, reunion! ;) And there's a little cameo in here, too, that I felt was appropriate, so hope you enjoy that :)**

**As always much love and many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You're the best! :D**

* * *

_**Chapter 65: Last of the Time Lords Part 4**_

The Doctor was left slightly stunned when Bad Wolf suddenly vanished in front of him. She had said that she had a short amount of time until she would leave, and her time was up. She promised him that Rose would be okay, and that's all he wanted to hear. Just knowing that he would be reunited with her made him eager.

Something had occurred to him. Didn't Bad Wolf say she was going to deal with the Master before she left? She hadn't done anything. Unless…

Spinning around he felt a wave of brief dizziness wash over him as the dome encasing them receded until vanishing completely, the dark shade of blue changing. The energy waves dispersed as they were brought back into the current time on the _Valiant._ He caught sight of the Master laying flat on his back on the ground, sputtering as blood soaked through his shirt over his hearts. Bad Wolf dealt with him. She destroyed his hearts. The Doctor's eyes widened at the sight, bile rising up in his throat. When did she do that?

That thought was brushed aside for the moment when he took in the other sights around him. The spheres that were lingering in the air popped out of existence in the blink of an eye. The ship rocked violently and sent everyone down to the floor. Martha was standing on the stairs leading up to the bridge before losing her balance. In a flash the Doctor ran right over and caught her in his arms, smiling at her before pulling her down to the ground.

"Everyone down! Time is reversing!" he shouted over the ongoing madness.

Heavy winds swept across the room and shook the ship violently again as Martha clutched his hand with all her might. He couldn't help but laugh and grin widely at what was happening. His plan was working. After a year of intense concentration and serious pain and grief one factor stood out the most—hope.

He's said it before that even the tiniest glimmer of hope could do wonders for someone in dire need of it. All of those people out there would soon be greeted with the light. The dawn of a better day, one without the shadows looming over the world. Loved ones would soon be greeted with each other as if it were a normal day, and not in enslavement, reuniting with each other.

And he had a special someone waiting for him when the whipping winds silenced.

Moments later the room calmed down and became still, the bright white light dying down. Scrambling to his feet the Doctor ran up to the bridge to check the controls and reading to make sure everything was as it should be. "The paradox is broken," he said. "We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning."

Reaching over he flipped a switch, turning on the communicator. _**"This is UNIT Central, what's happened up there?"** _a voice said. **_"We just saw the President assassinated!"_**

The Doctor nodded, putting it on hold for the time being. "You see? Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

"What about the spheres?" Martha asked.

"Trapped at the end of the universe," he replied.

"But I remember it," Francine commented with confusion.

"We're at the eye of the storm," he explained. "The only ones who'll ever know." He looked over to the side and noticed Martha's father up close and in person for the first time. "Oh, hello! You must be Mr. Jones! We haven't actually met," he said, shaking the man's hand.

"What happened to the Master?" Jack asked as he entered the room.

Turning away from Martha's family the Doctor glanced at the Time Lord before them, still on the ground. "Bad Wolf took care of him," he said in a hollow voice as he began to walk over to the other man.

"I gotta say I was expecting a pretty big bang when this ended," Jack commented. "And Rose would be the one to let it happen. But I wasn't expecting _that."_

"Wait," Martha spoke up. "What exactly happened to him?"

A chorus of guttural coughs responded to her question as blood trickled out of the corners of the Master's mouth. "Dying in front of you…" he wheezed. "Happy now?"

"I didn't know what she would do," the Doctor told him with a low voice.

"But you _wanted_ this deep down, didn't you?"

He remained silent as he studied him. Truthfully…he was unsure of how he really felt. In a way—the most _important_ one—he wouldn't be a threat to either himself or Rose anymore, and he was suffering as much as she has during her imprisonment. On so many occasions he told himself that he wouldn't have any regrets for what the outcome of this recent scuffle with the Master would be. And, while he wasn't feeling too sorry about it, he still though it was pretty extreme.

What would Rose think if she saw this? Yes, she was a part of Bad Wolf, but she wasn't the one in control when she arrived. Would she feel better knowing this was the end result? If anything he wouldn't blame her for accepting it with ease. She of all people has absolutely no right or reason to feel sorry for that man, especially after the Hell he put them through. Mainly her. Just thinking about it made him shake inside.

The man killed his wife. His _wife._ For that he could _never_ show mercy or any chance of forgiveness. Even if the act was reversed as if it never happened, it still would linger in his mind.

Crouching down beside the Master, the Doctor stared at him. "All this time I had nothing to say to you," he said. "Because I thought you would already know what it would be without me even mentioning it. What I did say to you was clear, and it went through one ear but not out of the other. It didn't have to end this way. You could've stopped yourself an entire year ago. No, even more than that back at the end of the universe when you changed back. We were the only two left…but you didn't listen. You did what you always do—gave me grief. Everything that we ever did over the years, and that was the constant; you dropping the heavy weight of misery on my head.

"There's no one else," he continued. "We were the only Time Lords left in existence, after everyone else died. The last of the most mighty race in the universe. But you ruined it. You could've been brilliant…with a mind like yours, had it not been diseased. What you did to the universe was inexcusable. What you did to all of those innocent people was horrid. But most of all…what you did to my wife was vile beyond limits. And for that, I don't forgive you."

The Master stared at him wide eyed, coughing roughly and sputtering more blood out of his mouth. The sight and sounds made the Doctor inwardly wince. "The drums…" he gasped out. "The drums, Doctor. They've…stopped." With that he gasped one last time as his eyes rolled back. He was gone.

The Doctor swallowed hard. Once upon a time this man was his best friend, so close that he was considered to be his other brother. They would run across the pastures of red grass stretching far across the slopes of Mount Perdition, those vast fields all day. But he was driven by madness, causing them to drift further apart as he detached himself from the young man he knew him as—Koschei. This wasn't Koschei anymore. He hasn't been for so, so long. But now the drums were gone, and he was finally at peace.

Straightening up the Doctor sighed as he turned around, catching the stares from everyone around the room. "Is he…?" Martha began.

"He's gone," came the Doctor's reply.

"What about regenerating?" Jack said. "Is he gonna come back again?"

The Doctor shook his head and sucked in a breath. "Don't think so. Both of his hearts were…obliterated. Torn. Turned into dust. No one could survive that, not even a Time Lord."

"Damn," Jack said, stunned. "That's…powerful."

"Hearts?" Francine said, confused.

"It's his physiology, mum," Martha told her. "He's got two hearts."

"As long as he's executed," Francine said walking over to the rest of the Jones family. "'Cause all those…things, they still happened because of _him._ I saw them."

"Right! Now to attend to other matters," the Doctor suddenly said as he dashed up the stairs to the bridge, turning on the communicator. "UNIT central, calling from the _Valiant,_ do you copy?"

**_"Receiving,"_** the voice said. **_"What's happened up there? The President was assassinated on live television. Who's in charge?"_**

"As of right now, I am," the Doctor said. "It was all the Master's doing, all of that. The man that was Harold Saxon? It was a false identity. He was called the Master. He's not a threat anymore. I'll explain everything later. But right now I'm gonna need a plane to free the hostages that have been imprisoned up here." He glanced over at Martha's family, a pang of guilt hitting him. "Then what I'll need you to do is send some officers to a specific location. I'm sending you the coordinates now." He moved to the computer beside him and typed them in. "There's another hostage there, and she'll need to get out of there as soon as possible. Have you got that?"

_**"Copy,"** _the voice said. _**"May I ask for your name, sir? The Brigadier will want to know who's sending out a fleet before we take leave."**_

"Tell him…it's the Doctor…and that the woman you'll find in that location is my wife. Trust me, he'll know who I am. And make Alistair tell her that I'm coming for her. Just like always." Switching off the comm he ran back down the stairs, seeing as Martha was talking to her family in the corner, most likely trying to calm them down from all of the hysteria. "Martha, gather your family and get them ready for lift off. They've been through so much in a year, and it's time for them to go home."

She nodded. "Gotcha. Where did you send UNIT?"

"To pick up my special package," he said with a smile. He made his way out to the TARDIS to check on the Old Girl's condition when he was stopped by Jack.

"What about the Master?" the captain asked.

The Doctor frowned as he turned back to see the lifeless body of the other Time Lord, his lip curling up as he sighed. "Right. Jack, haul him up and take him to the infirmary."

"You're seriously not gonna try _saving_ him, are you? 'Cause I might smack some sense into you if that's the case."

"Of course not, he's long gone. And even if he wasn't, I wasn't making an attempt to save him. He lost that chance a long time ago." He sucked in a breath, his insides still shaking. "I'll deal with him later. Right now I've gotta check out the TARDIS circuitry to make sure She's running well, then I'll wait for you two when you're done."

"And where are we going?" Martha asked.

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "Already told you - to pick up my package." He winked at her and smiled widely before dashing down the corridors. He was bursting with so much energy that he wanted to head straight over to the destination right away, but he would wait until Martha and Jack were done with their current tasks.

The double doors came into his view and he swung them open, laughing out loud when he was met with his beautiful ship. Getting his key out he opened the door, the grin on his face splitting even more as he glanced around the console room. The eerie red light was gone, replaced by the familiar blue glow of the time rotor. A couple of Her wires were sticking out of the console, but other than that She was back to normal. Running up the ramp he was greeted with a welcoming hum, and he immediately felt the warmness.

"Missed you, too, Old Girl," he said.

Grabbing the sonic from his jacket the Doctor didn't waste time as he went to work on the circuits, fixing the console up to ready themselves for their leave and head over to meet up with UNIT. It's been a while since he last saw his old friend the Brigadier. What a reunion that would be. But it wouldn't be as sweet as the other reunion he was looking forward to. The more important one.

He was about to get his other favorite girl back.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Rose sat on her bed, chewing on her thumbnail as she watched the live coverage of the President of the United States giving his speech before the entire conference hall. The Toclafane were hovering in the air, surrounding the bridge where Winters stood. From the start she knew this wasn't good. Those things weren't meant to exist, so that was a sign that they were trouble.

The Master ran up with that smile and she resisted the urge to move over and punch the television, wishing to God that it was that nutjob's face. She wished that she would be able to get a hand on Jack's vortex manipulator and teleport out of her cell just to smack the ever living daylight out of him. He ordered one of the Toclafane to kill the President, and that's exactly what it did. Perfect. After that everything turned into chaos, people running and screaming all over the place.

Then…nothing. The screen went black as connection was lost. She asked the Doctor what was going on, but he didn't respond. He closed himself off. Not knowing what was currently happening was never something she liked. All this time she was waiting for something to happen to the Master, waiting for someone to get her out of this hellhole. When the Doctor first arrived her stomach swooped and she threw it in the Master's face. One way or another that man was going to get what's coming to him.

For some reason in the back of her mind she felt like he already had. Whatever that would be.

She stood up from her bed and began to pace, running a hand through her hair. It was a habit she seemed to pick up from the Doctor, and she was feeling very uneasy at the moment. The outer door creaked open and she resisted an eye roll. Probably another guard coming to check on her. Bloody cronies. She saw a figure in the shadows entering the room, looking around. It didn't seem like any kind of guard.

"Oh, my God," she heard the man say. Judging by his voice he sounded young.

That was new. He couldn't be lost, though, could he? Surely no one would want to end up here.

"Who are you?" Rose asked out loud.

"Greyhound 40 to Greyhound One, I've found the woman, bring in the lock cutters," the man called into his communicator before sprinting over to her cell, allowing him to see his face in the light. He wore a red militant cap and a black outfit with eagle pins on them and a nametag - Private Ross Jenkins, and he was from UNIT. "You're safe now, miss. UNIT is here and getting you out. Can you give me your name?"

"Rose," she told him quickly. "Rose Tyler."

He nodded. "Everything's gonna be okay, Rose. You'll be out of there in no time."

"Finally something to look forward to in the morning," she said with a short laugh.

Her insides shook, and for once it wasn't fear. She was about to be freed from her cell. After eighteen months she was finally about to get out. Soon she would be reunited with the Doctor. She tried to send him something through their bond but he was still closed off. Why? Whatever the reason at least he'll know that she would be out of harm's way now.

Moments later a queue of officers made their way into her cell with lock cutters and other various devices used to open the doors. When the large metal cutters weren't doing much the officers resorted to a circular magnet that popped the lock, opening her door. She immediately exited without looking back. Someone flicked the light switch on, making her squint. A tall, older man emerged from the corridor and she recognized the man immediately.

The Brigadier, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. She had seen the man a bunch of times in the Doctor's mind when they bonded. Those two were good friends who worked together plenty of times to send any threats back to where they belonged.

"Miss Tyler," the older man said with a bow of his head, his hands behind his back.

"Brigadier," she replied with a smile. "You're looking well."

An interested look crossed his face. "Why yes. I…wish I could say the same for you." She shrugged. "It's time we got you out of here."

"Best thing I've heard all day."

They led her down the corridors until coming to the exit. Immediately upon entering the sun stung her eyesight, but it felt so good against her skin. Being coupled up in cells for a year and a half really takes a toll on one's body.

She knew the Doctor would freak out once he saw her in person.

The officers led her to one of the UNIT jeeps, driving away from the dank structure. Alistair said that they would be heading back to UNIT Headquarters to ask her some questions about…everything. She agreed to it, knowing that it was expected since there was a whole bunch of answers they were looking for.

"So," he began as they drove. "Rose, it was, yes? Rose Tyler. I'm—"

"Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart," she answered with a smile. "I've heard a lot of good things about you. Seen them, too. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, sir."

"Really?"

"Ever since 1969."

His brows furrowed. "What? That's impossible. You weren't around, then."

"Yes, I was."

"Well, then. I suppose so if you travel with the Doctor. Should've known that."

She paused for a moment. "How'd you know where I was?"

"We've received a message from the Doctor himself, telling us where you were," the Brigadier replied. "He said you were his wife."

Her eyes lit up. How did he know where she was? Did he get the Master to tell him? No wonder why he was closing himself off through their bond. He had a plan the whole time but kept it to himself. It didn't matter because she was freed and she would see him soon.

"That's right," she said warmly. "We're married."

"Never did I think I'd see the day where that man would wed," Alistair said with a smile. "Must have been waiting for that special someone, and finally came across you. He also told me to tell you that he was coming for you, just like he always would. If that doesn't say commitment, I don't know what else does."

She smiled shyly as she looked down at her bracelet, still without a scuff mark or dent in it. There were so many words, so many ways he showed his commitment to her, and it was all said on this piece of jewelry. For her.

Coming up to the building, she noted how different it looked than the time she saw it back in 1969. Getting out of the jeep Alistair placed a hand carefully to her back as he escorted her inside. A number of the officers glanced over at her and smiled before returning to whatever they were doing. Yeah, she knew they were probably a little shocked to see her appearance, but eighteen months of captivity wouldn't guarantee the best of looks.

"Come, sit down," the man said, gesturing to a lounge that looked extremely comfortable.

She sat herself down in a comfortable lounge, Alistair taking a seat in front of her. "It's been a long time since I've met the Doctor," the Brigadier said. "He's quite the remarkable man."

"That he is," Rose said. "He's the most wonderful man in the universe. I should give you a heads up, he's changed his face again."

Alistair chuckled. "Not surprised. Every time I meet him, the odds that his appearance changed since the last I saw him are very likely. I had been near the comm when he rang in, heard his new voice."

"That's all I want right now, to hear his voice and to finally see him."

Alistair studied her. "How long were you there, Rose? In your cell?"

She let out a deep breath. "Well, I was always bein' moved around, ending up in a different location. I was never aware of where exactly it was, but I knew it always changed. But, to answer your question, I was held as a captive for eighteen months."

"And…this Harold Saxon was the one who did this to you? But the Doctor informed the officers that he was actually the Master."

"Yep," Rose said with a nod, running a hand through her hair. "The psychotic and completely loony Time Lord made his pleasant return. Trying to do what he does best —make plans for world domination." She snorted. "So cliché, am I right? Although the way he did it was a little out of the ordinary—much like himself. Using satellites to convince you lot to vote for him. 'Course it wasn't any of your faults, he's hypnotic." She licked her lips. "I dunno what the Doctor did, but I think he stopped him."

Alistair nodded. "We believe so. He didn't give us any details, just said that the Master was dealt with."

That was a relief. The last thing she wanted was to see that face again. What bothered her was that she felt like she already knew that lunatic was already taken care of and stopped, but she had no idea of anything that happened. The Doctor wasn't telling her anything since he used Jack's space hopper. Still she trusted the Doctor had come up with a plan and stopped the madman just like all the other times.

Hopefully he didn't snap. A dark Doctor was never a pretty sight, but as long as he was safe and sound then she was aces.

"He's not going to like those scars," Alistair told her gently. "I could run over to the medical center for you—"

"No, 's okay," Rose said quickly. "They're healing…slowly. I can manage."

The Brigadier studied her again. "If you don't mind me asking, are you a Time Lord, too? Or…Lady, I'd imagine."

"No, I'm human…mostly," Rose answered with a head tilt. "It's a long story, but I'm a little more advanced. Stronger than the average human."

"You _are_ strong after living in such an unsanitary environment for a year and a half, but with all due respect, Rose, you're still in need of serious medical attention," he said kindly.

She pressed her lips together, aggravating the cut splitting her lip. No doubt the Doctor wouldn't be all too thrilled about the way she looked. Bad enough she showed him memories through their bond of the experiments and 'methods of discipline' the Master performed on her. He was furious then. Imagining his reaction to seeing her in person would make him even sicker. But then again, all that mattered was that both of them were alive and well. That was the most important thing.

"I'll survive," she told him evenly with a dismissive wave. "All that matters to me is that the Doctor's okay."

Alistair sighed before nodding. "So," he began. "You mentioned that you were in 1969."

"That's right."

"Might I ask why? Did the Doctor end up crossing into his own timeline again?"

Rose chuckled. "Kinda, but it was unintentional. We…were stranded in that specific era. 'S a long story, but we ran into the Doctor's past self—the one with the magician's cape—and he helped us get back to the present."

Alistair nodded. "That was the second version of the Doctor that I met."

"And it was _his_ third self," Rose mentioned.

"I've known that man for a long time and I still don't understand him," he said with a laugh. "Shame that I missed you both. I must've been on a mission somewhere."

"Busy life being a top officer," Rose said with a smile.

"Suppose so. Thing was I retired long ago, but I just couldn't stay away from this life. My own wife thought I was out of my element, but then she understood anyways."

"Not surprising. When you get to know the Doctor you usually run into him more than once."

"And I have on many occasions, Miss Tyler."

She laughed. "Trust me, I know you have."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Martha's family was an absolute wreck, especially her mother. Earlier she looked to be strong, able to keep her composure throughout the climactic denouement of the Master's reign and downfall as she stood by the rest of the family, but she was masking how she truly was. She was worse than Martha imagined. She should've expected this. Not a day went by when she didn't think about them and what they were going through in the year that was basically Hell on the _Valiant._

Now they were out of there and going back home, but they weren't the same as when they were last there.

Her heart broke when she saw the tears in each of their eyes, and nearly lost it herself when she saw her father and mother hugging and sharing a kiss. It's been so long since she saw something so sweet like the between those two after all of the problems they had in the past. Maybe now they could get back together to heal the scars beneath their skin after the traumatic events that took place here.

Maybe it was time she went with them.

As much as she loved travelling with her two dearest friends in the whole world, she knew how broken her family was right now. They needed as much consoling as possible in a moment like this. She's been away for an entire year, and they've been worried sick about her the whole time, not knowing what she was doing or if she was even alive. And when she came back and saw the frightened and relieved look in their eyes she almost broke down right then and there.

They needed her. It was her time. But first they had to get Rose back.

Once the plane left Martha noticed that the Master's lifeless body was gone. She had no idea what exactly happened but the Bad Wolf had said that she would make him pay for the crimes he committed, and that's what she did. That being was so enigmatic. Although…both the Doctor and Rose were, so it was fitting. Since time reversed it would guarantee that Rose was still alive, but would she be able to remember being the Bad Wolf during that non-existent year? She had no idea, but she supposed that it would be better if she hadn't.

The concept of it all still confused her, but she accepted it with ease.

Martha headed down the corridors to the room where the TARDIS was. When she stepped through the doors again and was met with a calming hum and no sickening feeling she smiled. The Doctor was moving around the console, determination on his face while Jack stood still beside him, all cleaned up and with a change of clothes.

"Doctor?" she asked. "About Bad Wolf? Where'd she go?"

"Back where she belongs," he replied casually. "Her essence fades away, returns into the source, order's restored."

"So, does that mean Rose will remember everything?"

He froze for a moment. "No. She shouldn't considering that the whole year never happened now. Only the ones in the eye of the storm would remember the events that took place. Rose was never onboard the _Valiant,_ so she should be fine."

"But the Bad Wolf _was,"_ Jack pointed out. "At least before she left. If she's able to contain so much power, and she's a part of Rose…doesn't that mean there's a chance of ripple effects?"

The Doctor swallowed hard and flipped a switch. "That's…possible," he replied in a low voice before raising it in a lighter tone. "But like I said, everything's back to the way it should be. The paradox is erased, the universe is saved, and my wife's alive." He glanced up and smiled at them before pulling the lever. The sound of the time rotor moving up and down made all of them laugh as they moved.

How they missed that.

They landed in UNIT with the slightest bit of turbulence, but nothing so extreme that they would be thrown to the ground. Popping back up the Doctor opened the door and stepped out, placing his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the area. It's been a long time since he last stepped foot in this place—not counting the brief incident back when they were stranded in 1969. Not much has changed, but he supposed it was for the best. He was technically still working for them…even though he would stay away knowing that they would put him in situations he didn't care for.

Still, the nostalgia was nice.

"The legendary UNIT," Jack proclaimed as he and Martha stepped out of the TARDIS. "Not much has changed."

"You've been here before?" the Doctor asked, arching an eyebrow.

The captain shrugged. "Once or twice, just looked around briefly. Told you I had to live out the entire 20th century waiting for your past self. I caught sight of a couple of your past incarnations."

The Doctor's brows shot up. He was about to speak, but Jack raised a hand to stop him.

"Relax, I didn't interact with them. Timelines, you know that. Just watched from afar. I gotta say, Doc…from the men that I saw, this regeneration is the best looking one."

The Doctor offered the man a tight smile. "You sound just like Rose. Speaking of which, c'mon. I've gotta get my wife back."

Walking down the corridors of the building was still so familiar that he was able to lead them to the lounge area. If the Brigadier came back then Rose had to be in this area somewhere. A few officers watched him as he passed by, but he barely paid any attention to them, just bidding at them. Not to be rude or anything but he needed his special someone. Now. A voice caught his attention and he detoured and took another path. Just a quick little turn, that was all.

Martha and Jack headed down and turned a corner, stopping dead in their tracks. Rose was up ahead speaking with one of the officers, appearing pale and still skinnier than her usual self. Some scars were on her face and arms, scanning and looking pink. Her clothes were torn and her hair was incredibly long. But she still showed calmness as she spoke. She was so strong. She glanced over for a second and saw the two of them standing by the doorway and they went over to her.

"Oh, my God, is it so good to see you," Martha exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

It was nice to be able to see her as she was—as sad as it may be considering her health most likely wasn't up to par—but for an entire year she missed Rose. Sure she had the ghost of her in the firm of Bad Wold be her companion through her perilous journey, but this was Rose. Fully alive.

"You too," Rose choked out as she could barely breathe in the tight hug. "Seeing more friendly faces is definitely a good thing. So, everything's all good now, yeah? The world's not gonna explode or anything?"

"All fixed," Martha said as she let go. "The Doctor had a plan, and it worked."

Rose snorted. "Figured that. He didn't even tell me anything. Kept it all secret. I'm sure there was a reason for that, but as long as it worked out in the end."

"Yeah, it was basically Hell."

"Hold on, where'd you get that outfit?" Rose asked, gesturing at Martha's black uniform she required during her trip. "It's a bit…militant, innit?"

"Oh…just something I found," she answered lamely.

"Never knew you were into that style," Rose said with a smile.

Martha shrugged. "Me either." She paused for a moment before blurting out. "D'you remember anything?"

Rose furrowed her brows. "What d'you mean?"

"Uh…" Martha trailed off and shook her head. Probably not the right time to tell her that she had died and was preserved by the Bad Wolf.

"Did…something happen?" Rose asked carefully, flitting her eyes between them.

"Doesn't matter now," Jack spoke up as he took Rose in his arms, laughing. "You're safe, Rosie."

Rose laughed with him. "Couldn't be better."

Jack pulled away and planted a kiss to her lips. "Didn't I tell you that you were strong?" he said with a smile. "You never gave up. That's my girl."

She smiled at him, her eyes moving around the room. "Where's the Doctor?"

Both Jack and Martha turned, realizing that the Doctor wasn't with him. "He was with us a few minutes ago," Martha said. Where'd he go?

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"Doctor."

"Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart," the Doctor said sauntering over to the man.

He wore his usual commanding outfit, his hat in his hand. His hair was grayed, and he still had his moustache. Some wrinkles creased his face, more than the last time he saw him. But other than that he was still the same Brigadier.

"You haven't changed," the Doctor said as they shook hands.

"Wish I could say the same for you," Alistair said with a laugh. "You've gone and done it again."

The Doctor chuckled. "Happened a few times since we last met."

"And you're looking much younger than when I last saw you." He laughed. "Throwing it in my face?"

"Really, Alistair? I'm older than you. Way older. You know that."

"Of course I do, it's all in your file. Which, by the way, is still in our classified section. You still work for us."

The Doctor sighed. "Yeah…been busy."

"For ten years?"

"Well…"

The Brigadier laughed. "I know the life you live is one of many obstacles, Doctor. It's understandable. Still incredibly jeopardy friendly, then. Always the same man, right?"

He nodded. "For the most part. Thought you were in retirement."

"Couldn't stay away from this, I guess," Alistair said. "Thought I was getting too old for this - and I suppose I still could be…but it's a part of my life. And it always seems as if you're always there to push me into this."

"Maybe," the Doctor said with a shrug.

"Doris was a little…" the man tilted his head briefly. "None too thrilled about my decision to stay, but understands it's my duty."

"Ah, she's still got a hold on you, then," the Doctor said with a smile. "What about the kids?"

"Oh…haven't really been in touch with them," he said, hesitantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Doctor told him. "Sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine," the man assured. "Things have changed, and it's been a while." Alistair studied him. "One thing definitely changed about you. Gone off into different territory, I see."

The Doctor furrowed his brows for a moment before raising them. He knew what he was referring to. "Oh, yes," he said with a soft voice.

"You're a lucky man, Doctor. Rose is quite a remarkable woman."

"Yes, she is," the Doctor said with a smile. "She's the most brilliant woman in the entire universe. And I can proudly call her my wife." He paused for a moment. "She's been through so much."

Alistair nodded, his lips pressed together. "I gathered. Eighteen months of being a captive with…the Master."

The Doctor sucked in a breath. Just the slightest mention of that man made his skin crawl, made him think about every one of the vile things that maniac did to his Rose. Then he remembered that the man was gone. Dead. The Bad Wolf took care of him, and he was no longer a threat. But he remembered everything, and he knew he always will.

"It's all done, now," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "The Master's gone, and Rose is alive. That's all that matters."

"Of course," Alistair said with a nod. "I want you to know that I offered her some medical attention, but she refused. Said she was perfectly fine."

Not surprising. Rose could very well be confined to a full body cast filled with scorpions and she'd say she was perfectly fine. After having to see what she had looked like on the surveillance camera, and then on the photos, along with the unpleasant visions she sent him, he knew she wasn't one hundred percent. It would probably take a while until she was completely herself. Until he was himself. So much has happened in their separation it brought up new wounds in need of healing. They would do so together.

"You know," Alistair said, bringing the Doctor back. "After having a brief talk with her, it wasn't hard to notice the love and devotion she has for you. Throughout her entire time in her…secluded area, she said she never had a doubt you'd come for her. She admitted that there were times where she did believe it for a second, but then she told me she'd take a look at that bracelet she wears and knew that you were on your way."

Oh, Rose. Its duplicate brushed against his fingers in one of his pockets, still waiting to be placed around his wrist. Faith was the most important thing one could have when in dangerous and horrifying situations. Hope was exactly the thing that one would constantly cling onto when there was no nothing else around. And that's what she did. What she always did.

"It was the promise I made to her, Alistair," the Doctor told. "That I made to myself, to always come for her no matter what. For so long I've been alone. Things…happened. Back home. I lost everyone, everything. All I got in return was a gaping hole in my head and in my hearts, knowing full well that they could never be filled again. But then she came into my life when I was at my lowest. And…she made me better. She gave me a reason to live, to believe that there was hope after all. She helped me see that, and she always will."

Alistair arched an eyebrow at him, the smile still on his face. "So she caught you in the end?"

The Doctor chuckled at those words. Words he had said to the Brigadier years ago in their last meeting. The man had mentioned Doris, calling her his wife. He had admitted that women weren't his field, and the Doctor humored him. But he himself thought the same thing with relationships. For once, though, he was given the chance to have something beyond anything he's ever had, and all he's ever wanted.

"Where's Rose?" he asked. "Can you bring me to her?"

Alistair was about to answer, but he stopped himself. He looked past the Doctor's shoulder. "Think I already did," came his response.

Turning around slightly the Doctor froze when he was met with a sight he hasn't seen in person in so long. Of course it wasn't exactly how he wanted to see her, but she was there. Rose stood by the doorway, wearing the torn up clothes and the patterns of scars covering her face and her washed out skin tone. Her figure was thinner than usual, and her hair was much longer, but one thing never changed - that signature tongue-in-teeth grin. Just seeing that was enough to warm his hearts up as his insides shook.

Not even giving another thought he strode over to her at the same time she made a move towards him. A few seconds later they found themselves in each other's arms, and they both chuckled breathlessly. He scooped her up and spun her around before letting her feet touch the ground again, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent that defined her. They both held each other tight, the Doctor able to feel her ribs. He inwardly cringed at that, but the fact that he was holding her in his arms again and that she was fully alive, he felt like he was in heaven. A warm sensation immediately spread through his mind, and it would continue to grow.

Once she sees what happened nine months ago, though…

No. He wasn't dwelling on that. Not now when he just got her back. That was for later.

"Hello," Rose said in his ear in between her giggles.

Smiling into her skin he placed a few soft kisses to her pulse point before lifting his head a little. "Hello."

When he pulled back she lowered her arms from around his neck to bring her hands to his face, mapping out his features as misty tears clouded her eyes. With such tenderness she traced every inch of his face and he offered her a watery smile as she brushed over his skin; his eyebrows, his sideburns, his nose, his cheeks, his lips. Her own trembled but her gaze was strong as placed her hands on either side of his face.

"I missed you," she said with a shaky voice.

"Quite right, too," he said thickly. She was about to pull him closer, but he stopped her for a moment. "Hold on," he said softly.

"Doctor?" she said with confusion.

Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out his sonic and adjusted the setting. A crease formed on her brows when he looked back up at her. Swallowing hard as he saw the nasty split in her bottom lip along with the purple bruises across her jaw, he gently rested a hand on the side of her face as he ran the sonic over her skin, healing her wounds. The physical ones, at least. Underneath were many more, but that was for later.

"None of these sit right with me," he told her as the blue light glowed over the scars, patching them up as of they were never there. "If I'm gonna kiss you, I don't want it to hurt you. _Ever."_

She smiled at him again as he came across her eyes and she closed them, the dark circles disappearing. The entire room was quiet, save for the soft whirring of the sonic. With such concentration he pressed his tongue to the back of his upper row of teeth as he finished up her blemishes, slowly running his fingers down her face to look over his work. She felt smooth, and even better now that her scars were healed. He'd take care of the others on her body later, maybe even take her to the Zero Room for even quicker healing. His thumb brushed over the apple of her cheek before moving to trace her bottom lip.

"All good?" Rose asked when he dropped his hand holding the sonic.

"Yeah."

The sonic in his hand was of no concern to him anymore as it fell from his hand and hit the floor with a bang just as he cupped her face and claimed her lips. At contact the tiny speck in his mind grew again and he inwardly cheered with joy. The hole that was lodged in his head was filling up, much more than when Bad Wolf touched it lightly. This wasn't the Bad Wolf, now. It was his wife, his true one. His _Rose._ She responded with equal intensity as she looped her arms around his neck, causing his own to wrap around her waist to pull her flush against him, deepening the kiss with desperation to rediscover their usual territory.

Rose was well aware that they were in a room occupied by a bunch of UNIT officers and the Brigadier, but she didn't care who was watching. She was back in the place where she wanted to be. The warm embrace of her husband's arms. Feeling his presence back in her mind - though feeling a bit off - made her smile into their kiss, raking her nails down his scalp, through his incredible hair. Nice to see him back to normal. Like she figured he was sickened by her appearance, but he took care of the scars left on her face. She had some others, and her ribs were still hurting and aggravated more as the Doctor held her close, but she didn't care.

All that mattered was that they were back together, and away from the madness.

Breathing became a necessity as they simultaneously broke apart, resting their foreheads together. The Doctor opened his eyes and was met with Rose's boreing into his. Her hands moved down to rest over each of his hearts and he inwardly shuddered. Glancing down at her left wrist he reached for it, eyeing the delicate piece of jewelry he made for her. Still in good condition, just like he always thought.

Rose smiled before giving him another brief kiss. When he pulled out of her arms, she bent down to retrieve his forgotten sonic. "Getting careless," she commented.

He smirked as he took it from her and stuffed it in his jacket. He didn't care about that right now. The most important thing that he needed was by his side, holding his hand.

Alistair came up to them. "Sorry to interfere with your reunion, but we're gonna need a report, Doctor."

The Doctor took a deep breath and squeezed Rose's hand. "Just say…the spheres are gone, as well as the Master. Nothing to be a threat anymore. The details aren't important."

"That's a change," the Brigadier said with a chuckle. "You're an impossible man, Doctor." He nodded at Rose. "You and your special lady there."

She smiled at the man before walking up to him and giving the man a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again, Alistair."

"Just doing my job, Miss Tyler. He's all yours now. Be gentle with him."

"Oh, I know."

"No chance of retirement again, eh?" the Doctor said.

Alistair nodded. "Doris would love to hear this one."

The Doctor chuckled as he shook the man's hand again. "'Til we meet again, Brigadier."

"Which might come soon enough, old friend," Alistair said.

As the man left, the Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and held her close, pressing a kiss to her hair and quietly saying, "C'mon. Let's go home."

* * *

**Bout time, right? **


	66. Healing

**A/N: May the fourth be with you all today xD ****Now the onto the aftermath. There's bunch of things they need to discuss, so let's see how it play out.**

**Much, much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! ;D**

* * *

_**Chapter 66: Healing**_

Rose sat on the bed provided in the medbay, her legs dangling over the edge as she watched the Doctor on the far side holding some sort of gadget for healing called a dermal regenerator, to which she made a comment about it being very _Star Trek,_ and earned a faint smirk from him. Martha and Jack stayed in the media room to occupy themselves while the Doctor tended to her scars.

When they first came back on the TARDIS she was greeted with a warm welcoming hum that she's missed for a year and a half. A healthy one, at that. She's taken a lot of abuse from the Master as well. Especially in the first couple of months, then it worsened to the point where Rose could feel how sickened the Old Girl was. Now though She seemed to be becoming like Her old self, humming in her mind and sending her waves of warmness.

For some reason she couldn't feel much coming from her and the Doctor's bond. She felt the same thing earlier when she finally reunited for him at UNIT and they hugged and kissed passionately. While she admitted that she did feel an effect through it in her mind, something felt…off. She couldn't really explain it, but it didn't seem right. She wanted to question the Doctor about it, but for now she kept it to herself. Maybe it was because they've been separated from each other for so long.

But…she was communicating with him through their link when he came back to Earth. So why was it acting wonky?

It wasn't like he was closing himself off from her, she would be able to identify it like that. No, it was…just indescribable. Was it just on her end, or did he feel it that way too? He hasn't said anything about it, but then again he was always good at keeping things to himself. He's done it for years. He had no reason to do so with her now. Unless…it was something serious. Oh, God.

When the Doctor came back over to her he held the device in his hand. "Okay. Now, this doesn't do any effects with clothing on. Especially since you've got scars…everywhere," he added with a low voice. "You'll have to remove any and all clothing for this to tend to them."

"'Kay," Rose said with a nod as she moved off of the bed to stand before him.

Doing as instructed she took off each piece of clothing with slight difficulty as her ribs were killing her. She masked it up, though. Nothing different than what she was doing in eighteen months. While her healing abilities were still intact they worked at a slow rate, taking care of the cuts and bruises pretty well, but the scars still remained. Whatever aches and pains she had were still felt and she inwardly winced.

Discarding her clothes to the side Rose finished undressing. It's been a while since she was this revealed to her husband, but it was anything but apprehensive. It was natural for the both of them, and far from being uncomfortable. It would never be that way with them, regardless of what happens.

"'M ready," she told him.

Seeing the serious look on his face pained her. It was the same expression she saw when they first came home. She thought it best to take an actual cleansing, so she decided to draw herself a bath. The hot water felt relaxing on her skin and helped the pains throbbing in her back when she had laid down in the tub. The Doctor stayed with her and seated himself on the floor. Usually when she would decide to wash herself off, whether it be a bath or a shower, he would always either join her or simply just ogle her figure. He had done the same thing earlier, but it was for different reasons; he studied every scar on her body with bitterness. From the nasty bruises on her sides over her ribs, her back, a few on her arms, her neck. Just about everywhere.

Though she wasn't receiving much from their bond, the anger radiating off of him was so thick she could've tasted it in the air.

It made her want to reach over and give him a hug, a kiss, anything to reassure him that she was okay. Yes, she basically lived through Hell for eighteen months, having to live day in and day out with routine rounds of abuse and torment, and could've very well been on the brink of insanity, but she was here perfectly safe and sound. During her entire imprisonment she constantly looked down at that bracelet encircling her wrist, knowing that her husband would come to save her. Like always.

"Doctor," Rose said, getting back his attention.

He blinked a few times and snapped his eyes back up to hers. "Right," he said thickly as he came an inch closer. "Just stay still," he said softly, lifting up the device. "This only works best when no movements are made."

She nodded in response. Ever so carefully the Doctor turned on the dermal regenerator and ran it slowly over her skin with ease and concentration, starting with the red marks on her neck. The tingling feeling of her wounds stitching themselves together made her shiver, contrasting with the heat coming off of the regenerator. She pressed her lips together, restraining herself from giggling. She always thought that the Doctor was incredibly sensitive, but she was just as bad. Maybe _worse._

He moved the device down to her arm, tending to the bruises and burn marks. "Is…this meant to heal every one?" she asked him.

"Well…not really," he answered, his eyes still focussed on his work. "A dermal regenerator is guaranteed to repair wounds at a rapid rate, but…not for _internal_ injuries."

"Then it's useless for my ribs."

"Yeah. But there's a better method for those types of injuries. You can use the Zero Room for that."

Her brows furrowed. "The Zero Room?"

The Doctor nodded. "Special room located in the TARDIS made specifically for healing. They're usually used whenever regenerations were more…painful than others. Could heal you up within minutes, it's that effective for neurological issues."

Rose pursed her lips. She never heard of that room in all her time on the TARDIS, nor did the Old Girl mention it to her. It was very useful for an even better healing process. "That's handy," she commented. "Should've used it sooner. How's a room able to do that exactly?"

"It would take an extremely long and complicating explanation about how the laws of physics don't apply to that room for it to be described _exactly,"_ he commented with a faint smirk as he continued tending to her scars.

"Got away from you again, huh?" she said with a smile of her own.

He chuckled once through his nose. "It can also allow you to levitate."

"What, seriously?"

"Defying physical laws," he reminded. "So you can defy the laws of gravity in the process."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully. Even after all this time he's still got surprises. Both him and his ship. She guessed he used that room just to fly around the room like he was a bird.

The Doctor gently placed his opposite hand not handling the device on her shoulder and turned her body as he moved along her ribs, over the purple bruises with a slight yellow tint. They both fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the whirring of the dermal regenerator as it moved over her blemishes and the steady breathing from the Doctor. He was immersed in the job at hand to make sure she would be one hundred percent.

"Turn around so I can do your back," he softly instructed.

When she did as told she practically heard his breath hitch at the sight of her bruises. Her ribs, while were unappealing to look at what with the nasty pattern formed on her sides, didn't even compare to what her back looked like; clusters of dark purple and reddened confusions from her lower back and trailing up her spine, ending just below her shoulder blades. She heard him swallow hard and bit her lip as he began to work on them.

Every breath intake he took through his nose made her tremble along with the hard stare burning in her back, as if he were classifying each mark into more reasons why he despised the Master. The history between those two was infamous across the universe in all of time and space. Best friends turned into enemies. It was sad if she was honest knowing that he was the only true friend the Doctor had back home during his childhood, and he turned out to be a complete raving lunatic that was a step away from killing himself.

Speaking of which Rose still had no idea of what happened to that nutjob. The others assured that he was taken care of, but what exactly happened? Was he alive or dead? Surely the Doctor couldn't have…killed him. Definitely not. She knew how furious he was at the whole captivity situation, fearing for her well being as usual, but even then he could never do something so beyond him and dark. Not her Doctor. She knew she had a lot to catch up on, but that was for later.

Moments passed by, still in silence, until the Doctor switched off the dermal regenerator. He ran a hand slowly up her back, smoothing out the repaired skin as it came to rest at the base of her neck. She felt him lean over to place a kiss to the juncture of her shoulder and neck, and she sighed.

Turning around she was met with an unusual mixture of affection and melancholy. She knew why he looked that way; he believed all of it was his fault, no surprise there. Another wave of guilt to pick and prod at his huge pile already. And it had to happen just when he let go of it all. At least most of it.

Rose raised a hand to press against his cheek. He blinked a few times before letting out a deep breath. "Wanna head over to the Zero Room now?" he suggested. "I mean…if you want. It'll further your healing process, and could lead to substantial results."

Of course. Diverting from the problems. They needed to talk as soon as possible, to reassure that they were both back together. But she did suppose that she could try out the Zero Room first. It'd be a neat experience, being able to fly around while rejuvenating.

"Sure," Rose replied with a nod as she turned to throw her clothes back. The Doctor offered to help her, but she kindly told him she was fine - even though her sides were burning on the inside. It wasn't all too bad. After all she was back home. That was all that mattered.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

"This is amazing!"

The Doctor watched with amusement as Rose followed his instructions and began to levitate in the Zero Room, joining him as they floated in the air. Just seeing that wide smile on her face again instantly warmed his hearts up.

"Sometimes I would come in here for no apparent reason other than to just hang around in the air," he said as he spun around.

She laughed and it was the most beautiful sound he's heard in the longest time, more than the songs he heard in his ears for quite some time.

"Why am I not surprised?" she responded.

Much to the Doctor's appreciation the Zero Room worked wonders for Rose's condition. He was grateful that he had the room restored in case of serious injuries and whatnot. Her body was coming together well, the thinned appearance becoming more whole, her skin tone returning to normal. Her hair was still incredibly long, but that could only be handled manually. Not much of an issue. Any and all of the serious internal injuries healed. He couldn't help but grin seeing her back to her old self, back to normal.

Having to see the many bruises that covered her entire body was enough to make bile rise up in his throat. Her smooth skin discolored in certain areas where the contusions made themself present. Now, though, they were all gone. Along with whatever other physical wounds she's received. He was a bit hesitant to dig deep into her mental state at the moment, but knowing Rose she would tell him she was fine, just as she always did. She must've picked up his habit of claiming he was always alright, even when he really wasn't. Old habit do die hard, and when they become part of another person close to you, they become harder to get rid of.

One thing that was somewhat shocking to him was that Rose has yet to mention anything about their bond. When he first arrived from the end of the universe they simultaneously felt each other's presence and began to talk to each other through it. Now though she wasn't initiating anything, but that was most likely because she couldn't at the moment.

Their bond was to be reactivated due to the fact she had died in the year that never was. What was there now was a thread, nothing too large and a remnant of the much larger entanglement. It basically severed and remained a hollow hole for nine months but ignited a bit when Bad Wolf entered his mind, then grew a little more when they finally reunited with each other. A faint sliver of light was all there was. They'd have to intertwine that way again in order to restore what was theirs. But it pained him knowing what she would see.

Her death.

Bad enough he still couldn't rid the unpleasant scene from his mind, but once they fixed their bond she would see exactly what the Master did to her, feel the aftershocks that rippled through him in her time of death at the ring of the dual gunshots piercing through her chest, then feel the anguish he's dealt with afterwards. No one should ever have to suffer through such agony, especially her. He came to terms with the regrets he's kept lodged inside of his hearts for so long, was able to realize exactly how dedicated Rose was to healing him and accepting him for who he was, but the moment she saw the extremes the Master had done to her, he knew how hurt she would be.

It only angered him more that such a thing even happened. Their forever was ultimately shattered when those shots fired, and everything became dark, worse than ever before. He thanked every deity that his plan had worked, because had it not he wouldn't have been able to find a reason for living on any longer. But as he always said there was only one thing he truly believed in, and if anything was giving him hope and faith, it would always be Rose. And that's what she did. Of course he wasn't expecting Bad Wolf to make an appearance. He still couldn't fathom how the Bad Wolf did what she did, but he was eternally grateful for her involvement.

What feared him more than anything was that visions of Bad Wolf would bleed out from the back of her mind. Ripple effects were rarely pleasant, especially when it came to repressed memories. It was the same as when she first merged with the TARDIS back on Satellite 5 when she destroyed the Daleks. Those details were fuzzy as all she remembered later on was that she turned the Daleks into dust, but the part when she accidentally made Jack immortal slipped by her until she met with he captain again and it all came flooding out and back to her. The look on her face made his hearts clench.

How would she react once she realizes exactly what she did to the Master? There was so much he had to tell her, to show her, to just do with her. That was for later. Right now, he had to take care of business.

"Now, you remember what I told you, right?" he asked Rose as he remained in the air.

"Think so," she said as she did an aerial somersault.

"Good. I'll be right back, I have to work on the TARDIS for a second. She's a bit…sluggish. She went through a lot. I'll have to check on the console one more time."

Rose studied him for a moment. "Oh. Okay."

Floating over to her he lightly held her by the wrists and gave her a quick peck on the lips before landing his feet on the ground and exiting the Zero Room. He looked back at her lingering in the space then closed the door. Yes, he lied to her again. But it was for good reason. He had to tend to something he didn't want Rose present for. Letting out a deep breath he made his way with heavy footsteps to the infirmary, ready to dispose the body of the man who nearly tore him and Rose apart. He heard the TARDIS hum in his mind as he walked. Even She knew what he was about to do, but She understood completely. Both She and Rose were ravaged by that man, and it only made him grit his teeth more.

Coming up to the room he stopped at the doorway, taking in the sight of the slain, lifeless body of the Master on the bed just where he instructed Jack to lay him. The Doctor balled his fists up as they trembled at his sides. Trays of scalpels and other instruments, both dull and sharp, were set up beside him. All he could see were the blood boiling images of Rose being used as an experiment, a tool against her will as her delicate skin was used as a blank canvas for indelible property claims.

The Doctor closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Rose was safe now. She was in the TARDIS with him where nothing worse would happen to her. All of those incisions and scars were gone. No trace of the Master's handiwork was left on her. Now he had to rid away with him once and for all. Off to the side the Doctor fetched a rag of chloroform and rubbed it over the Master's face. His blood was staining his face, his appendages still a but busted up. A sickening feeling washed over him as he threw the rag away. Violence was never something he'd resort to, only for the most desperate of situations and emergencies. He still couldn't believe he had done this.

Then he noticed the large crimson stains where the man's hearts used to be. The mark of the Bad Wolf.

The Doctor grabbed a wide piece of fabric and began to wrap the Master's corpse. While he was still bitter about everything that man had done to him over the years he felt a tad bit of grief. Not much considering he performed sick and twisted methods of discipline on Rose when she was his hostage. Just like he told the man before he passed on, he could've just listened and stopped the madness. Had he ended it all his drums could've been cured. But he did what he always did; ignored someone else's words and did it all his own way. The wrong way.

Now the drums were silenced, as made possible from Bad Wolf's involvement. Now the Master might finally have peace. And now the Doctor can have some as well. Both him and Rose.

When he finished preparing the Master for a Gallifreyan funeral where the body is cremated he hauled the caucus up in his arms he made his way down the corridor until he came to the console room. He placed the body on the jump seat as he set the TARDIS back into motion. He set the coordinates to somewhere far away from any civilization so no one would think to check the area or be disturbed by a burning body. The Old Girl landed smoothly as he took the corpse once more. He told the TARDIS to keep an eye on Rose should she come out of the Zero Room and make her way into the console room. She didn't have to see any of this. He would do this himself.

It was night time, somewhere far away from any residence. Carefully placing the Master's body on the ground he walked across the dirt ground to the heap of wood to build the pyre.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Flying around a room was definitely fun and all, but Rose was starting to feel a bit dizzy. On the plus side she felt more like herself and back to her original appearance. Her ribs stopped aching and her skin tone wasn't as pale. Her hair may have still been longer than how she kept it, but that could taken care of later on.

Making her way down to the solid ground she took one last look at the large white room before stepping out and into the corridors. Definetly a room she'd enjoy issuing every once and a while. Not just for rapid healing, but for floating as if she were a butterfly. She entered her and the Doctor's room to change into more comfortable clothing. Choosing her sleepwear—thin pink top with dark blue sweatpants—she patted the wall, smiling up at the TARDIS before leaving.

"Where's the Doctor, Old Girl?" The ship hummed cautiously. "'M guessing he doesn't want me to join him wherever he is." Another hum of affirmation.

Rose snorted. Figures. He always would make himself discreet and keep things to himself. She knew he wasn't working on the TARDIS. He was probably taking care of other matters. And she had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"He really thought I would leave him alone?" Another hum. Oh, silly Doctor.

Coming into the console room she found it unoccupied. She walked down the ramp and carefully opened the doors. An immediate chill greeted her in the face along with the strong smell of a flickering fire. Up ahead she saw the Doctor standing by a pyre with a torch in his one hand, igniting it as a body wrapped up in fabric was swallowed by the flames. He stood back, watching the remains of his old enemy and once his former friend burn to ashes.

She still had no idea of how he actually died, but he didn't regenerate for some reason. Not that she would want him to and become younger and stronger yet, she was more than happy that the man wouldn't be a threat anymore. But she couldn't help but feel bad for the Doctor considering the Master was once his dear friend long before those drums plagued the man's mind. Despite everything he had to feel a little upset that he was once again the last of the Time Lords.

But that didn't mean he was alone. He had her. Always.

Slowly walking forwards she slipped her hand through his free one as he stared at the fire.

He turned to her, an unreadable expression on his face. "You don't have to be here for this," he told her softly.

"And you don't have to be here alone," she countered. He swallowed hard as he tossed the torch into the fire, and she studied him. "I'm sorry, Doctor."

"For what?" he said, confused.

"I know how much he meant to you." She placed a hand on his forearm and rested her head on his arm. "He loved you. I saw it in his mind, all those times he tried to get inside mine, I stepped through his. I know he used to be your friend-"

"You shouldn't feel sorry about any of that," he cut in gently. "Not after everything he put you through."

Rose shrugged. That was true. She really had no reason to forgive the Master for his malevolence, but she couldn't help but feel like something was tugging at the back of her mind.

"Besides," he added. "I may be the last Time Lord, but I know that I'm not alone."

Rose raised her head to see his ancient eyes, soft as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Once the cremation was complete they both walked hand in hand away from the smoldering pyre behind them.

"I see the TARDIS followed Her instructions," the Doctor said once they came back to the ship and headed into the console room.

"You really thought that I was just gonna let you stand out there on your own?" Rose said, rounding the console.

"Bad thinking on my part," he commented as he set them to drift in the vortex. "My girls are always ganging up on me."

She giggled as she tried to send waves through their bond but it proved to be…weird. She could feel him in her mind but it was faint as it's been since she reunited with him. It still felt off, and he didn't seem to be closing himself off.

Standing beside him Rose placed a hand on his forearm. "Doctor…what's wrong with our bond?" He stiffened under her touch, a muscle working in his jaw. "'S like…off."

He took a deep breath through his nose. "There's…some things you have to know."

Her insides shook. That didn't sound good. "What kinda things?" she asked carefully.

The Doctor studied her for a moment before reaching out for her hand, then leading them down the corridor. Yeah, something definitely _was_ wrong.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

With Rose's hand in his the Doctor led them to their bedroom, a path they haven't taken in a year—or eighteen months for her to be precise. In order for them to form their bond again he had to show her everything that happened during the year that never was, or rather the nine months that never were there for her.

The ones where she was presumed dead.

Even now the images caused such a pain in his chest he was sure he'd hear them break the second they transferred into her. Despite Bad Wolf saying that they could be a bit fuzzy for Rose, she would still feel everything he felt the moment both of those shots were fired. She'd essentially be reliving that experience and theoretically speaking she hasn't gone through it. She would see everything the Bad Wolf saw when she was travelling with Martha on their journey across the Earth from every civilization crumbling down to every human that was slaughtered by those spheres. Which was another thing—she'd find out exactly what those spheres were and be upset

But the thing he was most cautious about letting her see was when she returned to destroy the Master. Well, it was technically the Bad Wolf. Rose wasn't the one in control as her essence was preserved and hidden within the entity to keep herself alive. Forgoing that ripple effects were a possibility regardless as the repressed memories would work their way out when touched. Though he was feeling a bit apprehensive about what could come out of this, he wanted this more than anything. He needed her to fill up his mind fully again.

Coming to their door the Doctor slowly opened the door and led her inside to sit on their bed. Shedding out out of his jacket and tie he left on his dark blue Oxford, toeing off his trainers as he sat beside her.

"'M not gonna take a kip just yet," Rose told him.

"No no, I figured," he said, scratching his neck. "Although you _should_ get some rest-"

"Doctor," she said firmly. "I wanna know what's up with our bond, and if something's wrong with it, then we should fix it."

Straight to it. That's what she was good at doing. Taking a deep breath he thought he could ease into the whole explanation slowly. "Rose…I know you've wondered what my plan was all morning." She nodded. "Well…it was to integrate with the Archangel Network, to change everyone's minds about the Master and make them believe in something else."

Her brows raised. "Wow. That worked fast, I gotta say."

"Yeah…it took a lot longer than you think." He already could see the confusion in her face but she nodded, urging him on. "It took a year."

"What?"

"This morning…when you asked where I went…we used Jack's space hopper to end up on the _Valiant._ We were there when the President was assassinated."

"Didn't you get noticed?" she asked. "And…what d'you mean it took a year?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'll explain, I promise. It's…all connected. Anyways, I had taken our TARDIS keys—mine, Martha's and Jack's. Because they were pieces of the TARDIS with low-level perception properties matching that of the Archangel Network signal, we were able to blend in. I was about to place a key around the Master to expose his true self, but he was able to see me. That's when the spheres killed Winters. That much is what you know, right?"

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "Yeah…most of it…" she drew out slowly. "So, then what, a year passed by?"

"Yes, so to speak. Only now it's as if it never happened. When the Master turned the TARDIS into the paradox machine he activated it and sent the spheres out to slaughter everyone around the world. And…those spheres…were the refugees from the end of the universe."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out, her eyes widening. All of those poor people looking for a safe haven wound up with the complete opposite.

"Martha was able to use Jack's space hopper and get out of there in time, but her duties weren't over," he continued. "Before she left I told her specific instructions that went along with my plan. I told her to something simple—to tell a story. To inspire all of those people who were losing hope all around the world to talk of our adventures so that when the countdown would come down at the one year mark, the plan will have worked, and the Master would have been stopped."

"Walking the entire _Earth?"_ Rose said in disbelief before smiling. "I said Martha was good."

"Yes, she is. But…she wasn't alone." An interested look crossed her face as the Doctor held his breath, readying himself for what came next. "In the Year That Never Was…we were imprisoned."

"I was a captive for a whole other _year?"_ she said incredulously.

He lowered his eyes, a lump forming in his throat. As much as he hated the thought of her being confined to a cell like an animal for another year, compared to what actually happened in that year it was the better circumstance. And far less traumatic for either of them to deal with. Maybe. Spending as much time under the control of a callous man that the Master was could only make one's skin crawl no matter the duration.

Rose studied him carefully. "I didn't make it a year, did I?" she asked quietly. Still avoiding her gaze he barely shook his head, unable to find his voice for the moment. She reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in his lap. "What happened?"

Inhaling a shuddering breath, he tried to speak. "I'm so sorry…the Master…he sent a guard to your cell, and…" he swallowed hard, but his voice remained hoarse and barely audible. "They _shot_ you, Rose. Twice…through your heart."

Rose stiffened by the Doctor's side at his words, raising her opposite hand to cover her mouth. Well…that was something she wasn't expecting, but in a way she figured it would've happened had she been his prisoner for some time longer. Apparently she had died in the year that was erased from time. And by a weapon that churned the Doctor's stomach the most—a _gun._ The Master threatened her countless times that he would've killed her in an instant in front of the Doctor to make him suffer.

He lived by his promise.

"Doctor…I," she breathed out quietly. "When?"

"Three months after we arrived," he responded, his voice still hoarse. "He brought everyone out of their cells—Jack, Martha's family—all of them. And he brought it up on the screen for us to watch…"

"And…our bond," she said. "Did it…what happened to it?"

"It ultimately shattered," he told her. "The bond is permanent, but when one of the partners dies…it becomes a hollow hole, never to be refilled by another. Everything that they felt gets transferred into the survivor, all of their pain and suffering…"

As if her heart wasn't broken any more than it already was. She closed her eyes, painfully imagining how much her husband had suffered for nine months without her being around, grieving with the worst possible pain to linger in his hearts and in his mind. It must have been worse than when all of the Time Lords died, all of those echoes haunting his mind. She had filled up those holes, gave him something he's wanted for his long life but was never able to have, something so sacred and precious…and the Master destroyed it just to make the Doctor suffer.

Her blood boiled while at the same time she felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't know what she did, but she supposed it didn't matter since the Master would have shot her just for breathing. Her poor Doctor. The nightmares that must have permeated his mind, having to be reminded of that horrid scene over and over again for nine months without anyone around to give him comfort.

"Doctor," she said with a broken voice, placing her opposite hand on his other, giving both a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry…I'm…so sorry."

"It's not your fault. But…there's more," he added. "Your body…after you were shot, you didn't fully die."

Her brows furrowed. "What d'you mean I didn't die 'fully'? I didn't become a ghost, did I?" He didn't answer. "Oh, my God, I did, didn't I? Don't tell me I became a ghost."

The Doctor sucked in a breath. "Well…it's all a bit…complicated. Because you were shot in the heart, your mental capacity was able to still be intact. Your connection with the TARDIS was faint…but it brought you back…in a sense." He raised his head to finally look back up at her. "Rose, you became the Bad Wolf."

Her breath hitched. Another thing she wasn't expecting. He continued to explain how Bad Wolf made her appearance, unexpectedly arriving as an apparition due to limited power and walked across the world with Martha, being her companion as they spread the stories to the hopeless for the remainder of the nine months. He talked about how distant songs and small waves of warmth came to him throughout his imprisonment, reassuring him that everything would be came the countdown, where every person on the Earth repeated his name at one specific time, their faith combining and making him rejuvenate.

Then he told her when he first saw Bad Wolf, when she came onto the flight deck and shocked nearly everyone onboard, including the Master who was on the verge of having a hearts attack. Not to her surprise he was afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, just like she assumed. The entity helped the Doctor return to his younger self, but she wanted the Master to be punished for the crimes he committed. She listened intently as the Doctor said that the Bad Wolf told him everything then implanted a package in his mind - the coordinates locating the cell where she was in.

What came next, though, struck her the most. Bad Wolf promised that the Master would face retribution, and he did. The hard way. She reached into the man's chest and turned his hearts into dust, taking away his ability to regenerate. The Doctor said that he had never seen anything like that before, and she instantly shook inside.

"So that's what Martha meant when she wondered if I remembered," she said softly, still trying to wrap he head around everything the Doctor told her. "She thought I would remember all of that. I did all of it.

"Rose…" the Doctor said, cradling her hands. "Don't feel sorry for that. You of all people shouldn't feel sorry about _him._ He _hurt_ you, Rose. He…" he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "Any and all chances to save him were chucked away. I wanted to at least try to save him before I knew about Bad Wolf, but…when I saw what he did to you in person, he lost his chance. I told him time and time again to stop the mayhem he was causing, but he never listened. And then he…_killed_ you," he said with a whisper. "All because you were close to me. I knew deep down I'd find a way to get you back…" he lifted his head. "And you did. You came back to me."

"'S what we do, innit?" Rose said with a small smile. "We always come back to each other."

A faint one appeared on his lips, but didn't seem to reach his eyes. "Yes, we do."

Even though she felt a little uneasy about how the Master was dealt with, all that mattered was that they were both here, safe and sound. "So, that's why our bond is…off? 'Cause I'm alive when I should be dead?"

The Doctor hesitated before nodding once. "Pretty much. Once the shots were fired it severed moments later, but when we reunited it was triggered a tick. It's…conflicted. It would have to be reactivated for it to be restored to its original formation."

"Can we do it now?" she said, shifting a bit on the bed to face him properly.

"You sure you want to?" he asked. "'Cause…you're gonna see a _lot_ of unpleasant images from…the last nine months."

She swallowed hard and said firmly, "I can handle it, Doctor."

He still looked a little hesitant but nodded. "Okay, then." He released her hands and raised them up, lingering in the air by her temples. "Now, they're gonna appear a little fuzzy considering the year was erased. Just…remember to breathe."

"I know the whole deal, Doctor," she said with a playful eye roll.

He smirked but it quickly dropped once he entered her mind, gently easing his way in as she relaxed. Her warmth came over him and he felt his stomach swoop and his hearts race. He could already feel the gaping hole start to be filled with her again, trying to rid him of the new pile of regrets thrown upon him. His breath hitched when the unwanted images of Rose being abused with various tools, all of the scars the were now healed and disappeared being shown once again on her pale skin. Her cries came back to his ears and he inwardly winced. Never did he want to hear those piercing screams again for the rest of his long life, but he knew they'd hide in the corner of his mind.

His uneasiness was little to nothing when compared to what Rose was feeling and experiencing.

Just the feel of his cool essence made her smile. She hasn't felt it this much since before her incarceration, and it was a definite need, almost as if she was in a drought. The first vision she saw was the Master using his laser screwdriver to age the Doctor dramatically, weakening him as he could barely stand. Three months went by as the Doctor was confined to a wheelchair, stiff and uncomfortable. But then she saw what he was reluctant to show her; her upcoming death. Unfocused as it was she was in her cell, bounded and gagged while a guard stood beside her with a loaded gun. The fear radiating off of the Doctor transferred into her, turning into a flash of searing pain and agony when she was shot. His cries pierced through her ears more than the bullets in her heart in the vision.

Shaking inside she managed to keep her strength as the reels continued, panning to a familiar figure. The Bad Wolf. She returned and with a vengeance, and with full intentions of saving her Doctor and destroying the Master. Once the Doctor was engulfed in a bright light mixing colors of blue, white, and gold, time seemed to be frozen completely. A locked chest of some sorts heated up in the back of her mind until opening. Some new visions came to her, and only her. She saw how the Bad Wolf took care of the Master, turning his hearts into dust. But what she saw afterwards was something unusual. She picked up one of his rings and disintegrated it. Was that important? All she knew was a safe reassurance followed.

They both pulled away with a gasp, their eyes closed. "I'm sorry, Rose," the Doctor spoke up first. "I'm so sorry you had to see all of that."

Her lips trembled, but her voice came out even. "I wanted to. You shouldn't keep that to yourself, and you shouldn't feel guilty for it."

"How could you say that?" the Doctor asked, opening his eyes. "If-if I hadn't—"

"Don't, Doctor," she cut in, placing a hand on his face. "You told me that I shouldn't feel sorry for what the Master did to me, then you shouldn't either. None of this was _your_ fault. He was a hypnotic bastard driven by insanity who was merely an outcast. He was the cause of everything, not you. He loves to interfere and make things chaotic. That was his love—_chaos._ You knew how he was. Don't feel sorry for what he did, 'cause the end is better. We came back to each other, and he's long gone. As long as we're together, we'll always be stronger. Because what we have will always be unbreakable, Doctor. Our love conquers all. How else was all of this possible? You kept your faith in me—in us—and it was the best advantage for the universe to be restored. It _always_ would be."

Leaning into her touch the Doctor pressed his lips in a straight line. She studied him for a moment, recalling his hesitation to reactivate their bond. Did he need more reassurance? He couldn't have been having second thoughts, could he?

"Don't you think this is all still worth it?" she asked.

A crease formed on his brows. "What?"

"I mean…when I asked about our bond, you…" she sighed. "I just thought…'cause I probably made you suffer through so much pain in those nine months, and it was worse since we were bonded. You would really go through all of that again?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Yes, I would." He shifted to take both of her hands in his. "Rose…you're my _wife._ And our life…it's a wild ride. Ever since Noel it seems as if the universe is doing its worst to separate us even more, to tear us apart by bringing storm clouds in our wake, and…it scares me. More than _anything._ Because I know for a fact that if I were to lose you forever…I dunno what I'd do." His eyes lowered as he raised her left hand, indicating her bracelet. "This…says everything that you mean to me; every time you managed to add one more reason to the long list of how many times you surprised me with your brilliance; every time you reached into me and healed my old, broken hearts; every time you've proved me wrong, whether it be with your persistence and even your stubbornness; every reason why I love you, from the very first time I met you."

Rose smiled widely at him, and it mirrored on his face. Placing her hand back on her lap he gently cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.

"I've committed myself fully to you in every way possible, Rose. Everything that we have will _always_ be worth it. Having to deal with the pain of what may come for us will always be worth it, even if it nearly breaks us apart. Because I made a promise, and I have _full_ intentions of keeping it."

Rose felt her eyes mist over. He always found ways to make her heart melt, and she loved every one of them. Her eyes fixed on her bracelet, moving over each symbol and phrase he engraved himself. For her entire time as a captive, through all of the abuse she took, her body was scarred. But out of it all, her undying love and faith in her husband prevailed. Nothing could break that. Yeah, that may have seemed a bit cliché, but it was the truth when it came to them.

"And…" he continued. "There's something we haven't done yet."

Her brows furrowed when he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out two blue ribbons with golden Gallifreyan scripture woven into the material. She realized what he was doing. Handfastening—the step they hadn't got to during their consummation. Truthfully they didn't need to further lock in their marriage as it was set in stone and for forever already, but she would gladly participate in another renewal of their love. He brought her left hand up and wrapped one of the ribbons around her wrist, just below where her bracelet was positioned. He then proceeded by wrapping his own before bringing the thick hanging tails of both and tying them, bringing their hands together to clasp.

"We've already pretty much reassured our pledges to each other," he said softly. "So…this would come next."

Rose smiled warmly at him. "Goin' all out, huh?"

He chuckled and the next thing she knew her lips were gravitating towards his for a lingering sweet kiss, and he happily accepted it. Much like the long-awaited reunion they had earlier today they relished the moment, their hands held firmly in each other's, fastened by the ribbons. They didn't need to have the bands around them to keep them together since it was their usual resting place, easily melded together to hold each other perfectly. While he may have explained to her before that there was supposed to be a ceremony held for matrimonial occasions she told him it wasn't necessary. They didn't need a big fancy event to declare their love. Everything they already had spoke enough on higher volumes.

The TARDIS hummed around them in satisfaction as they finally broke apart and rested their foreheads together. The Doctor nuzzled Rose's nose with his before reaching down to slowly untie the knots in their ribbons. "That was nice," she said.

"Should've done it even sooner," he admitted. "Not that we really _had_ to since we've finalized it already, but…"

"I'm glad we did it."

He grinned as he set them off to the side on the nightstand, his hand still cradling hers in his lap. Something had occurred to Rose as she reached over to fetch the Doctor's discarded jacket and pulled out the sonic.

"W-what're you doing with that?" the Doctor asked.

Instead of answering him she buried her hand in one of his trouser pockets, fishing around for a specific item. Before he was about to question her again she found what she was looking for as she pulled out his bracelet to match hers, the one she has yet to place around his wrist. She dangled it in the air, her eyes scanning the Gallifreyan scripture. Words and feelings that she had for him. She always wanted to ask how he knew exactly what to put on it, but she figured it would be pretty self explanatory.

He already knew.

"Something else we haven't done yet," came her reply.

The Doctor smiled warmly as she rolled up his sleeve to place the bracelet around his wrist. She brought the sonic up and changed the setting. Lucky for her she knew a handful of the basic operations of his sonic and knew the one for locks. Holding his hand in hers she clasped it shut and brushed over the metal with her thumb before placing a kiss to the back of his hand. Glancing up at him she was met with dark, softened eyes boreing into hers.

"Unbreakable, yeah?" she quipped.

"Safety precautions," he said. "Have to take them with _you."_

She chuckled. "You have _your_ fair share of gettin' in trouble too, you know."

"Never said I didn't. Rose Tyler, you're rubbing off on me," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, you had that habit _long_ before I did."

Grabbing him by the collar she brought him in for another kiss, rejuvenating their sensations with their bond as she pulled him back to lay on top of her. How she missed this exhilaration. Both of them did. Having to be separated for a year—or more in her case—only made their yearn for each other that more unattainable. This was what they needed.

Her death left him shattered, and she was here to piece him back together. The Doctor healed all of her wounds and scars, and now she was going to do the same for him. Just like always.

* * *

**Sooooo…you guys know where this is headed. ****Be prepared for a link to the mature stuff—if you want to read it, that is ;)**


	67. Purity

**A/N: *unabashedly plays befitting music***

**Here we are again. ****This is the edited T version. If you'd prefer the M version, I posted it on Tumblr. _The link is now up on my profile. You can post the reviews for the M rated version here if you want ;) _****If romance isn't your cup of tea, then don't read either version.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you all of you lovely reviewers and followers! Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

_**Chapter 67: Purity**_

So much time, so many precious seconds and minutes and hours of time that could have been used for the most passionate of moments between them were wasted. A year for him, and a year and a half for her—two separate periods of time filled with anguish, pain, misery, and all around mayhem of isolated and traumatic stress.

Now it was over. The Year That Never Was had come and passed. Erased from Time itself. Now they fell back into the warm and loving embrace they've grown familiar with, and although they've been away from each other for so long, it never felt like they were divided from the storm that came over them. Not at all.

Hearts and minds were rejoined as one, just as they were meant to be, every thought and emotion shared between them being poured out, amplified by the tingling sensations dancing underneath their skin that made them shiver with anticipation. The reunification of two lovers, husband and wife, immersing themselves in the blessedness they knew all too well, unaffected by the horrid and vile visions of each other's incarceration as they entered their own little world, where everything was safe and sound.

The Doctor had opened himself up once again for Rose, releasing all of his true feelings with such intensity as they both rediscovered each other's deepest recesses with their lips melded together, steadily mapping out the contours of their mouths. Not a day went by where he longed to relive moments like this—in the living flesh, that was. After living as a defenseless prisoner for a whole year, far from his wife's reach, the closest he was to having such serene moments was at night when he would try to sleep, reminiscing on the pleasant memories of every blissful act of passion shared between them since their consummation.

It was all he thought about, anything precious and sacred to keep his sanity intact when it was slipping further away the more she was gone. But she was here with him now, alive and well, far away from any harm and content in his arms.

At some point they came to lift themselves off of their bed to stand beside it without breaking the kiss, the Doctor's arms encircling Rose's waist while her hands were buried in his hair, tugging gently and coinciding with the savoring of their mouths, tongues entwined with each other to create that perfect rhythm that drove both of them mad to the point where they were parched and desperately drank everything the other had to offer, sending surges through their bond with every soft moan that was being swallowed and making their blood rush.

A cool wave of love came to her mind, making her smile. She's been longing for this to be reactivated, and now it was. All mutual thoughts and emotions being transferred. It's been a while for her, but for him it's been just as long—maybe not _exactly_ considering he had to live through an entire year that later became nonexistent, one only to be remembered by a small handful of people, filled with chaos and unpleasant memories. Nightmarish scenes haunted him in that time, but now she would lead him away from all of that. The fresh new wounds that scarred him were about to be repaired by her methods of remedial love, to be patched up by her sutures.

Her palms were flattened against his chest, the double rhythm of his hearts thumping beneath her touch. Thankfully he had already discarded the more difficult pieces of clothing being his tie and suit jacket, which only got in the way of their activities and took longer for them to have skin-on-skin contact. _Bloody layers._ Without much of a conscious effort as they were losing themselves in their dizzying whirlwind Rose tugged at the buttons of his Oxford none too gently until they finally freed. She was shocked to find that the usual t-shirt he would add to his list of layers was gone. _Good planning._

He responded by humming into her mouth, pulling her closer to his front when she felt just how much he needed her at the moment. How much he needed her for the time being in their imprisonment, but was unable to be rewarded with bouts of love, only granted misery and the worst possible pain searing through his mind. She knew a sliver still remained, but it would disappear in a matter of minutes had it not already.

Breaking away so she could pull a gulp of air into her lungs the Doctor took the opportunity and expanse offered to him and moved to kiss the corner of her mouth then to her cheek, making his way down to her neck, peppering her skin softly as she tried to remove his Oxford. Skimming her hands across his shoulders to slide the unwanted piece of clothing off she felt tendrils of energy pulsating through their bodies at contact, burning them up as the sparks grew exponentially, more so when her open palms mapped out his torso - his slim frame that was toned perfectly with his rigid abdomen and defined obliques, his firm pectorals, and the soft smattering of his manly chestnut hair she adored so much. Running her fingers through it caused another electric shock to zap through them, and they sighed in unison.

"I've missed this," Rose breathed out as the Doctor's cool tongue laved her skin with swift movements, each stroke making her lose her breath more and more. "That spark…those effects…"

"I know," he told her huskily, his mouth never leaving her neck as he traced his lips up the crook. "I was numb without it. There wasn't even any pain, just…emptiness. Even with the distance, it was horrible. When you were…" he swallowed hard, unwillingly reminded of the distasteful images of seeing Rose's slain body. He could still hear the dual blasts of the gun, the bullets that lodged themselves into Rose's heart, rivers of blood gushing out of the deep craters that pierced through her chest…

_No._ That was no more. All it was now was a painful memory of a scene that happened during a year that never existed now. His wife was with him. And he needed her. Rassilon _knows_ how much he needed her, to know that he wasn't in a dream anymore like the past nine months, that this was real and there's.

Rose's hands came to pull him back, allowing him to see the glimmer in her eyes, chucking away every last one of those distasteful images and reels. That was what she always did for him. Just being within her perimeters was therapeutic in its own right, healing him with just the slightest touch and look. Because that was her nature. Her heart was always pure, considerate and worthy of a saint, casting off her seraphic grace upon him, doing what she did best; to make him better.

"'M here, Doctor," she told him softly, her fingers lightly tracing over his features in the same way she had earlier when they were reunited back at UNIT. "What happened in that year is gone now. It never happened."

"I know, it's just…" he shook his head, unable to find any words. Instead he rested his hands on her hips and pulled he in for another passionate kiss. _"I'm so glad you're here with me,"_ he breathed out through their bond, transferring an extra wave of love with it that sent a jolt through them.

_"I'm not goin' anywhere,_" she replied through their link, and he smiled into the kiss.

It felt just as exhilarating as the first time they created it back in 1969, a year that the Doctor was adamant about _not_ reliving. It became one of the worst years of his life, but then his mind was changed. What used to be a year full of grief and confinement turned into one of the greatest periods of his life, where both he and Rose consummated their marriage, where their forever was sealed inside of their souls as they poured everything out for the other to see and accept.

Then a storm collided with them, shattering everything they had built up.

Almost.

In a time where hope seemed to be lost, where the light would never shine from above in a time so dark. But, like always, his angel came back to him in his time of need, shining her light over him and lifted his spirits back up, her palliative grace washing over him. And he couldn't help but feel eternally blessed again.

With gentle fingers the Doctor peeked underneath her top, his tips sending more electric to shoot through them as his coolness glided up her warm skin, now unblemished and healed from the repugnant cluster of bruises she had taken from her imprisonment. He wasn't about to let himself rage with such a fury of every single way she was handled in that time, because it was gone. Non-existent. And right now, what they needed was a remedy, and he would give it to her. Following the same path back down his hands fanned out, splaying across her lower back before rising up again, finding his destination. He undid the clasp of her bra in one flick of his thumb—an accomplishment he was always quite proud of—and ran his hands up to grip her shoulders, causing the garment to gather up at her elbows.

Registering his actions Rose broke the kiss, taking in the Doctor's disheveled appearance with his hair all askew from her tugging, Oxford ripped wide open before he shrugged it off carelessly, lips parted with every breath he took, and eyes resembling melted chocolate. Her heart swooped at his gorgeous state, just like every other time she was met with it. She would never be tired of it, and neither would he.

Smiling warmly at him she took her loosened bra from underneath her top and removed it, dangling it between her fingers before dropping it. His eyes remained locked on hers as he reached out to pull her flush against him, his lips descending onto hers once more as his hands slid under the hem to caress her skin before raising them to cradle her face, burying one in her silky strands.

Her hair was longer than usual given how she was unable to keep it trimmed during her eighteen months, but the smoothness was never tampered with, its texture so sleek it slipped through his fingers with ease.

Cradling the nape of her neck with one hand he reached the other out to grab the hem of her top. Ceasing their lips for the moment he pulled the article of clothing above her head and tossed it behind him, not the least bit concerned on its landing spot.

His insides warmed up at the sight before him. It was a sight he's admired for quite some time, but it's been a while since he's seen them in the living flesh, and he wasn't counting both situations earlier when she was taking her bath or when he used the dermal regenerator to tend to her scar covered body. He was saving his craving to fondle with them when they were to reactivate their bond. Now he could re-chart his usual territory without worries.

Rose watched as the Doctor brought a single finger to slide across her clavicle achingly slow, coming to her sternum with feather-light touches, causing her nerve ends to fray as she trembled beneath his touches and moaned softly.

He smiled smugly at the effects he was giving off on her, hence the reason why she was 'Shiver' when he was 'Shake'.

"Every night I would envision us making love, every time we ever did," he told her softly as he continued his ministrations. "It was the only comfort I could've had in that time…but it never did justice to the real thing." He lifted his eyes to hers, letting her drown in his gaze.

"You have me now," Rose told him sincerely, bringing a hand up to stroke the light stubble of his jaw. "You always will. We don't have to wait anymore 'cause we're back, and that's all that matters."

Pulling him down for a lingering kiss to his lips Rose sent him waves of affection through their bond, making him moan as he deepened the kiss once again. Continuing his rediscovery of her curvaceous figure, his hands skirted down her ribcage, mapping the inward curves as he came back to her hips. Shifting a bit he made an attempt to do away with her sweatpants. At least they weren't as much hassle as her jeans. Although…he enjoyed undressing her slowly, and he always wanted to cherish every moment like this together, and that's what he would do.

Taking control of the kiss Rose turned their bodies around, leading the Doctor towards their bed. The backs of his knees hit the edge, but he was skilled enough to sit himself down without breaking apart. Rose remained standing for a moment, her hands resting on his shoulders while his arms wrapped around her waist, his fingers dancing up her spine and sending a chill down it in the process. Breaking the kiss she crawled onto the bed to kneel beside him, making a curious look cross his face.

Sitting herself on her heels at the front of the bed by their pillows Rose grinned wickedly and crooked a finger, beckoning him to 'come hither'. A deep growl escaped from the Doctor's chest as he crawled over to her and claimed her lips, mirroring her position as he cradled her jaw, angling her just right as he poured out his passion. Rose made her own ministrations as she sculpted his torso once more, her nails gently scraping over his pectorals, sending more electricity through them. Proceeding with her travels she spread across his ribs, descending to his obliques before swirling a single digit around his navel.

He shivered. _Rassilon, how she made him feel_. Just the barest touch made him unravel. And he wouldn't want it any other way, and neither would she.

The Doctor glided his hands back down to her shoulders, the pads of his fingers ghosting over her arms. Static buzzed from every pore of her skin that he passed, recreating the path when he came to a stop at her elbows, then rising back up. He felt Rose straighten herself up to a kneeling position to tower over him. He noted how much she seemed to enjoy those types of shifts, trying to make him come undone at an even faster pace. He inwardly snickered. _Insatiable little minx._ Joining her in her ascension he kept an arm wrapped around her waist while his other found the back of her head.

As the Doctor was completely lost in the blissful moment, sending tendrils of electricity through the both of them, he barely registered where Rose's destination currently was.

While she didn't care how breathless she became only one man was able to do such a thing to her, and that was her husband.

Mapping out his entire front, every inch of skin, there was one important area she hasn't got to yet, and she was yearning to rediscover his sculpted manly perfection. Undoing the clasp of his trousers she hooked the waistband and tugged both them and his pants down in one swift movement, bunching them at his knees.

"I always thought about us, too," she told him softly. "Thought about every one of your features…" she inched closer until she was a breath away from his face. "Your eyes…your freckles…your lips…" she trailed her parted lips across his cheekbone, stopping at the corner of his mouth, their breaths mingling. "Every one of your delicacies…"

He felt a wave of heat pool into his anatomy, his blood rushing when he opened his eyes. This body, he noticed since the very beginning, was _incredibly_ tactile from the slightest touch, but when it came to Rose, he could unravel in a matter of seconds and surrender to her sensuality.

Rose leaned forward to gently nip at the tantalizing offer shown to her that was his neck, soothing her bite with her tongue before peppering a trail of kisses to his Adam's apple, laving over it. She smiled into his skin when he hummed again, vibrating through her.

As torturous as she was being, he allowed her to continue her tender gesture, to let her savor the moment. After all she deserved it. She's been through a _hell_ of a lot recently, having to be isolated from the entire world to be consumed by the darkness and wind up trapped in the impossibility that was a fundamental externalism…well, theoretically speaking that never happened now that the year was erased. He repeatedly thanked Rassilon and the Bad Wolf for bringing his wife back to him. Because he knew for a _fact_ that had she really remained dead, he would've joined her.

One of his hands came up to cradle her jaw, lifting her up from her other task of laving the skin of his neck with her tongue. He brought her in for a deep, kiss, drinking her in while his opposite hand traveled to her waistline. He deftly pulled down both her sweatpants and knickers in one go. He loved relishing sacred moments like this, and so did she. No matter how many times they share such bouts of love, they would always treasure every second of each other's opened souls.

Shifting on the bed the Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her back down on the bed, taking the opportunity to remove her bunched up clothes by her ankles. Pulling them off slowly to admire every inch offered to him her full, exquisite figure was laid out before him.

His wife. His Rose. Bare, wearing nothing but a contagiously warm smile, immodest and wantonly. And it was always a glorious sight.

Tossing her superfluous layers aside the Doctor noted how his own were still tangled at his knees. He rolled off of the bed to stand, making it easier to kick off the remainder of his clothing. Almost indiscreetly he could feel a burning gaze ogling him from behind. Turning around he arched an eyebrow at Rose, who was laying on her side with her head propped up and had a cheeky grin on her face.

"I take it you're enjoying the view," he said to her.

"Very much," she responded. "But I think it'd be a lot better if I had a _closer_ look."

He growled at her as he kneeled beside her, his eyes moving along her exquisite physique, how silken and smooth her skin appeared in the dimmed light of their bedroom, already glowing. Then again, that was all natural for her. Rose was a paragon of grace, always has been as it was woven into her soul. And she was constantly bearing herself out in the open for him to see fully, to be bathed in her beauty and righteousness.

Moving to the foot of their bed the Doctor tenderly massaged her calves, moving higher as he inscribed tight circles of the words and phrases matching those engraved on her bracelet with his fingers on her stomach, speaking them out loud through their bond along with sending waves of love behind them. He abruptly froze in place, his ministrations stopping when he heard Rose murmur something in his mind.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Wha'?" she said, breathlessly.

His face lit up, stunned by what he heard her say. "Rose…" he said, lifting himself up to crawl closer up her body. "You just said my name."

She blinked once. "Okay…what about it?"

"No, I mean…you said my name. My _actual_ name. All this time we've been together, and since…our very first time, you never repeated it 'cause you said you couldn't."

"Well, I needed some kinda activity to do when I was in captivity for a year and a half," she said casually. "I just…I practiced sayin' it in my mind."

The Doctor shook his head, his face in awe. "You didn't need to learn how to say it," he said gently.

"I _wanted_ to, Doctor," Rose said with a smile, bringing a hand to cup his cheek. "I wanted to learn it…for you."

His smile was sweet and loving as he captured her lips in a passionate lingering kiss. If he thought _that_ was beautiful, then she would surprise him again once she learned more of his home language. She knew the TARDIS would assist her in her lessons. Ever since she and the Doctor bonded she has always practiced pronouncing his true name, trying to repeat the beautiful cadence that was the Gallifreyan language. Difficult though it was, she was determined to give him another thing from his home. She knew how much he'd adore it, and she saw the confirmation just now.

Gently breaking the kiss the Doctor's searing gaze bore into Rose's, his eyes as black as a starless sky. "Turn over," he requested in a low voice that made her shake inside.

She demurred at first, making him give her a light kiss between her eyes. Rose eagerly complied, shifting to lay on her belly as the Doctor moved off of her, the cool air hitting her as he came to sit by her feet. Elevating herself on her forearms she hugged the pillows to her chest and looked over her shoulder to see her husband's eyes fixed on her body. She inwardly blushed, which was odd considering that she's been on the receiving end of those adoring gazes multiple times. It was the usual effect.

For a second she caught him glancing up at her and he gave her a lopsided smirk, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. Turning to face the headboard, she waited patiently for him to make the next move. She's waited a long time for them to be reunited, for them to be able to have this amorous act once again, but she knew he was preserving this. He showed her the events he saw from the Year That Never Was, transferred every ounce of pain he dealt with in that time in the last nine months. He needed this more than anything. And she would give him what he wanted.

Flattening out his palms the Doctor rubbed her calves again, revelling in the static he was creating beneath their skin as he ascended up, sending her his admiration and accolades for her having what was the most exemplary representation of the human female form. Gathering her silken hair he carefully casted it off to the side, allowing the creamy expanse of her back to be revealed for him. Fanning his fingers over her ribs he bent down to place a few soft kisses to her lower back, almost as if he were mending the bruises that were once there and moved up her spine.

Reclining his body he pressed himself down as he placed a kiss to the base of her neck. Breathing in her sweet scent that was purely defining made him shiver. Rose let out a deep, content sigh when his fingers traced intricate patterns on her sides. She sent him another wave of love, and he hummed. Bringing a hand up he turned her face to him, giving her a tender kiss to her cheek before claiming her lips again. Rose raised one of her own to bury in his hair, gently scraping his scalp.

After a moment the Doctor broke the kiss, his hand lightly turning her to face the headboard. He began to ease himself back, his lips making a trail down her spine. His hands gripped her shoulders. "C'mere," he whispered.

Pulling her up with him he raised themselves back into their kneeling positions, her back pressed against his front. His arms encircled her, one across her middle and the other across her waist, holding her close in his protective embrace. Her own came up to wrap around his neck, lacing her fingers together as she rested her head on his shoulder. Nuzzling the crook of her neck he gently nipped at her pulse point before soothing the bite with his tongue, making her moan softly and leading them to tremble from the electrical jolts.

One of Rose's arms lowered to her side before she trailed her nails across his forearm encircling her waist. She stopped when she came to his bracelet, its twin on her wrist. Both pieces stuck together for a moment, magnetizing like an unbreakable bond. And it was _theirs._ It always would be. No words needed to be said as they drifted off with absorption in the deep concupiscence that was their closeness. Just being able to hold each other in warmth was enough of a blessing for them considering everything they had been through as of lately. Now they were home, and they were safe and sound.

"I-I…need you…now," the Doctor breathed out.

Rose lowered her other arm from around his neck and took both of his hands in hers, removing herself from his shielded embrace. Spinning around she cupped his face, her thumbs brushing his bristled sideburns before bringing him in for another lingering kiss.

_"Lay down,"_ she told him through their bond.

Guiding him over to switch their positions to where she was placed at the foot of their bed, he lay on his back, watching her with spellbinding eyes. Crawling up his body she initiated the closest possible contact between them, making both of them gasp in unison as a powerful cackle of static shot through them. The Doctor said another indistinguishable Gallifreyan phrase that she didn't understand, but she did catch her name being said in the mix. He raised himself to kiss her vigorously, one of his hands curling in the back of her head as she happily reciprocated. After a moment she broke the kiss and eased him back on the pillows.

The Doctor stared up with complete adoration and veneration at his wife before him, all in her supernal grace as her golden essence overwhelmed him, much like the very first time. The hollow depressions that tore apart his mind that were drained of her light ignited, filling both of them with intense euphoria as they joined as one again on various levels. His breath was ultimately taken away to have her back in his life. His beautiful angel always watching over him.

His hands rested on her hips, leaving the pleasant combination of burns and chills in his path as he tenderly caressed her skin. Ascending up her sides Rose seized him by the wrists, bringing his hands up to her mouth as she placed a soft kiss to each palm before lowering them.

She began to create a slow rhythm, starting with light thrusts, him matching her movements with his own. Soon she picked up her pace a bit, pressing herself deeper and making them groan in pleasure. The surge that quaked through them caused their mouths to collide in a fierce kiss as the rapidity escalated.

The Doctor kept a firm grip on Rose's hips as she caused him to unravel more and more. Rose broke the kiss with a stretched groan that he could've sworn was on the verge of sounding like a wolf's howl, arching herself and throwing her head back, her hair whipping in the air to land behind her. The Doctor couldn't help but be compelled by the motion and growled, the mutual sounds of pleasure filling their bedroom. Almost too soon he felt himself tightening, and bit back on his lip. He let out a grunt as he reached his peak.

"R-Rose…" he fought out in between pants. "I-I can't…I'm gonna…"

His sentence finished with a strangled cry as he released himself completely. He mentally kicked himself for somehow expelling so early. Him being a Time Lord and all guaranteed he had better control. Perhaps being away from this for so long made him even more tactile than before. The Doctor kept his eyes shut tight as Rose came to a sudden halt. She reclined her body to lay across his and peppered his face with soft kisses before resting her forehead on his, her hair waving over him like a curtain as he was enveloped in her intoxicating scent.

He rested a hand on her back. "Did you…?"

"N-no," she responded.

That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to bring her to full pleasure, especially in a time like _this._ Luckily, he wasn't an average bloke and had his own advantages.

"Hold on."

Inhaling deeply the aphrodisiac that was their combined scents, he concentrated…

Rose gasped and straightened back up. Not surprising that he would use his 'no refractory period'. It was usually an occurrence with him. And it was _always_ worth it.

"I'll never get tired of that," she said with a grin.

"You never _will,"_ he husked, a smug smile on his face before he let out another moan. "Rose Tyler, the things you do to me."

"I can say the same for you."

Sending waves of love through their link Rose leaned down to kiss him passionately. His hands ran up her slick back before he shifted their positions, placing himself on top as he recreated the steady motion. Breaking the kiss with a growl he quickened the pace. Rose raked her nails down his scalp then down his back, wrapping her legs around his waist, her soft cries syncing with every thrust. The Doctor brought an arm around her shoulders, pillowing her neck as he descended to nip at her pulse point. He growled again, his free hand reaching behind him to grab one of hers and bringing it back down to the mattress. Threading their fingers together, they held on tightly as the passionate flame became smoldering, engulfing them as the world around them faded, the stars clouding their vision as they shot through the skies.

It was the sweetest perfection they could ever want and need; the most sacred reunification of body, mind, and soul. Hearts expanding impossibly more with the strongest emotions appropriate for two lovers filled with unattainable desires. Reaching so deeply in each other, skirting through all of the brokenness, accepting the beautiful imperfections, finding the absolute best parts, both inside and out. Joined minds thriving as they walked amongst the wavelengths, radiant hues represented by sentiments through transference, from one mind to the other. Bodies humming as they spoke, every pore emitting a tune, arranging themselves to form a harmonic rhapsody of unity. Poetry in motion, rhythmic in execution, an eternal bliss. Everything coming back together as it was supposed to be. Simultaneous pleasurable cries belted out when all coils were tightened, sprang loose, and released, pouring out everything that was engraved onto their marital bracelets, every word, every thought.

_Everything._

Completely spent the Doctor slumped down, his body pressed flush against hers as he lay atop, not so much where his weight would crush her, but enough to make him remain lost in her frame. Sliding a hand up he cupped her shoulder, brushing her skin with his thumb. Holding himself up slightly with his forearms, the fingers of one hand were still entwined with hers, placed by the side of her head. Calming his respiratory bypass he rested his head on her chest, just above the rapid thumping beating that was her heart. Her fully alive heart. He closed his eyes, allowing the lingering effects to continue to swirl around them.

Rose let out a deep, content sigh as she steadied her breathing, the static still buzzing beneath her skin. Her legs unwrapped themselves from around the Doctor's waist, her feet rubbing the soft hairs of his calves. She brought up her free hand to brush his damp hair back softly, massaging down his neck and back as far as she could go before returning to his head. She sent him another affectionate wave, reveling in their moment, bodies melded perfectly together. It was when she felt a faint shudder coming from the Doctor that caught her attention. That followed by a single sob that had escaped from him. Lifting her head from the pillows a fraction she saw him nuzzling her chest, his body trembling.

He didn't have to say anything. She knew.

"'M here, love," she told him softly, resuming her strokes to his hair to settle him down when another sob came out out. "I'm here, 's okay."

"I know," he said, inhaling another shaky breath before placing a kiss above her heart, leaving his lips there and muffling his words. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

She chuckled quietly. "Doctor, you don't have to apologize for anything."

"I don't?"

"No."

Squeezing their joined hands she brought her other up to lift his head up. She noticed the slight redness at his eyes' rims along with that familiar melancholic look, but she knew just how to make it fade away.

"Whatever happened in that year is gone now. All the matters is that we're back, and everything's fixed. We move forward. We're back home." His bottom lip trembled a bit, making her trace her thumb over it. "Hey, I know you. You've been waiting so long for us to be like this again, and at one point you almost believed that it never would. But you know what I always tell you; I always come for you, just as you do the same for me. It's the promise we made, and we always live by it persistently. I married you, Doctor. I gave you my heart and soul. I'm giving you forever, with every day that passes us by. The universe can throw whatever they want at us, but they'll never split us up. No matter what storm approaches."

The Doctor blinked after a moment. He's said this so many times, and he knew for a fact he would continue to say it—he may never fathom how and why the hell he of all people was blessed with the most compassionate and lovely angel the universe ever created. Reasons aside he would revel in it until the end of time.

"Have I rendered you speechless again?" she teased.

He chuckled through his nose. "Yes. It's what's you do best." Leaning over he gave her a sweet kiss, smiling against her lips when a small shiver passed through her.

Rose arched an eyebrow. "That's all I'm good at, right?"

"Definitely not," he answered, his eyes moving over to their joined hands. He raised them up, smiling at her bracelet. "Every one of your perfections is right here. And…I'm pretty sure there's others I haven't discovered yet."

"Well, we've got all of forever to find out," she said with a wide grin.

The Doctor made a happy sound in the back of his throat. Letting go of her hand he carefully pulled himself away. He heard her breath hitch, and he knew why. He most likely made her lose the ability to walk again. A devious grin spread across his face. He hummed as he came to lay by her side, her head nestled on his chest between his hearts.

"'M a little surprised," Rose spoke up. "No third round?"

The Doctor chortled as he traced intricate patterns on her back. "In other circumstances, I would second that. But you really should rest, Rose."

"What if I wasn't tired?" She yawned a second later. "Shut up."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep, Rose. I'll be right here when you wake up."

That was a promise.

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**I'm slightly paranoid again. O_O Just like Chapter 45, I'm not forcing anyone to read the M rated version (even though I think it's more fitting since nothing was cut out.) ****If this version did you justice, then good :)**

**Again, if you haven't already and want to read the M rated version, check my profile for the link to it on my Tumblr. Whichever version you read, you can leave the review here. ;)**

**Guys, we've got one more chapter left in this! *gasp* **


	68. Until Next Time

**A/N: Holy cannoli, we've come to the end! God, what a ride this has been. When I finished _An Unexpected Christmas Miracle_, a few people requested that I do a rewrite of series 3, but I was a little hesitant knowing how complicated it would be, and how there were already so many out there. But through the stress it was fun to write.**

**Much, much love to every single one of you lovely reviewers and followers! Without you guys I wouldn't have been able to get through this as quick as I did. You guys are the best motivation, thank you so much! :D**

**Now for the last chapter. I'll be honest, I…kinda rushed this. Mainly 'cause I had the worst writer's block with it and had a few fits. I dunno. Oh well. Here ya go :)**

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_**Chapter 68: Until Next Time**_

Morning came and the sun shined bright over the entire world, something that seemed foreign given the recent events that happened over the last year. Or the year that was now erased from time. Which was good.

Martha sat at the table in the galley, a cuppa fixed in her hands. It was a lot earlier in the morning than when she usually would start walking around the TARDIS, but she had her reasons for it. While everything was better and fixed properly, she would've expected her sleeping schedule would be calmer since the nightmare was over. That wasn't the case though as all she kept thinking about was her family. She talked to her mother for a long time last night when Jack excused himself briefly. Her mother ended up barely sleeping last night, too.

It still broke Martha's heart that her family were stuck on that ship with that monster. In a way if she had known what the final act was once the countdown began, she wished that her family had hid away somewhere where they couldn't be found or taken into custody. Of course they'd probably end up in a worse situation like death if those spheres got a hold of them.

Either way the end result would gradually be the same—traumatic.

Along with her family she thought about her friends. When they came back to the TARDIS she and Jack made themselves discreet and headed off to the media room while the Doctor and Rose caught up with…everything. Since the minute those two were reunited they haven't been an inch away from each other, and even if they were she was certain that it wouldn't last. Saying that they had a lot to talk about was an understatement considering the wackiness and madness the escalated from the Master's reign, being in separate places in time.

While it wasn't any of her business Martha wondered how the Doctor felt about how the Master was handled. Of course he was obviously relieved that he was able to get Rose back, alive and as herself and not as Bad Wolf, but he probably wasn't sitting right with how his old friend was taken care of. He was a man who despised killings, even stressed that when she came back to London as a part of his plan, and that's what happened to the Master.

Then again, he may not have felt any remorse for him. After all that maniac held Rose captive for eighteen months, twenty-one if the year that had been erased would be counted up until…her death. He even admitted that any chance to save the Master was long gone. That answered her question right there, but it brought up something else.

Did the Doctor actually tell Rose that she had died and came back as the Bad Wolf to stop the Master? At first she supposed he wouldn't mention that considering that was a memory he wouldn't want to relive. And if he did tell Rose about it, it would've made her upset. Back when Martha was travelling across the world with Bad Wolf, the other being never spoke about everything that may happen once the final act was done. Never said what would happen to Rose other than the fact that she would be alive.

Martha shook her head. None of that was her business. It was their own private dealings, much like she had her own. She had made her decision about what she would do from here yesterday and would tell her friends soon.

Finishing her tea she figured she'd still be the only one awake right now for a short while considering the others would probably have easier chances of sleeping well, so she placed her cup in the sink and headed down the corridor to head down to the media room to watch a movie. Something entertaining that would lift up her spirits a little more.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Jack came out of his sleeping quarters, finally able to het some rest after yesterday. It was nice to have things back to normal. He had thought about calling his team to tell then he would be coming back, but then he thought about surprising them when they went back to Cardiff.

He chose the second option.

Finally he would be reuniting with his other family down at Torchwood. He knew they would expect some kind of reasonable explanation to his sudden departure but he would handle it all later. Whether or not they'd understand that was his reason would be seen soon enough, but as long as he'd get to see them again he didn't care what they thought. He missed them all dearly, especially Ianto. The look on his face alone would be worth it once Jack returned.

Walking in the corridors Jack came across a familiar door he remembered passing by the last time he was on the TARDIS, but there was a slight change to it, and it was an even better one if he was honest. A string of circles and lines forming a phrase in Gallifreyan was carved into the door along with a floral design—specifically a pink rose —intertwining with them. He couldn't help but smile at it.

The Doctor and Rose's room.

He hasn't seen either of them since arriving in the TARDIS once they retrieved Rose from UNIT, but they deserved all the privacy in the universe right now. Such traumatic events were to be healed with time, and they had all of it at their fingertips. And as long as they had each other they'd always be alright, that much he knew.

It still marveled Jack that those two lovebirds were married. Back when he was traveling with them in the Doctor's previous regeneration it was never hard to see the love between them. Hell, one simple exchange of a glance was a little too obvious and said so much. And now it was so much more. Both of them have been through so much, especially in the last year, longer for Rose. Having spent so much time isolated from each other required them to work things out and heal.

As much as he missed this life, he had responsibilities back in Cardiff. Hopefully he could go back to them later once the dynamic duo come out of their room.

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Stirring out of her sleep Rose kept her eyes closed. For the first time in a long while she was able to have a decent night's rest, and not just an hour in an uncomfortable excuse for furniture. Now, though, she was in complete bliss as she was back where she belonged.

Home, and in her husband's arms. Just as it should be.

Smiling she immediately felt a nudge in her mind, and her heart swooped. How she loved feeling the Doctor's presence. After having emptiness for eighteen months, having to be confined in dank prison cells chained up all the time, barely seeing the day of light, she felt like she was in heaven again. Not a day went by where she yearned to relive these beautiful moments, and she wasn't referring to just the dreams. She meant in person, in reality, in her actual life.

That was another thing she was grateful for. Usually whenever she would try to get some rest in her numerous cells a nightmare was sure to creep into her mind, haunting her about the lies that the Master always repeated and tried to plant them deep in her mind to force her to believe them. Every day for eighteen months, attempting to use his hypnotic and abusive nature just to let her know that her Doctor was long gone and would never come to her.

How wrong he was.

Now she was reliving her dreams, the ones that never left her mind through her entire duration as a prisoner. Being so far from her husband's reach only increased her strength to find her way back to him and vice versa. Faith was always a push factor, and she never lost it. Even if a few of those unwanted doubts poisoned her mind, still she kept her mind up and her heart true and waited for her Doctor to come back for her.

One thing that was a bit interesting, if not strange, was a small reel that came to her mind at some point during her slumber. The Doctor told her that there was a chance that she could have ripple effects radiating from Bad Wolf—if that even made sense. But she saw the vision of the Master's ring being disintegrated by the entity's hand. Whatever the significance of that meant was a little fuzzy to her, but in the back of her mind she felt a reassurance that he would no longer be a threat to her or the Doctor or the universe anymore.

That's all that matters.

She was laying on her side with the Doctor's hand clasped in hers, placed in between them on their bed. She opened her eyes to find him laying on his stomach facing her with his eyes still shut, his hair flattened and messy from sleep. How she missed seeing that beautiful sight every morning. Grinning she shifted a little closer to press a kiss to his temple before slowly sliding out of the bed to head over to the en suite. She made her way over to the sink and turned the tap on, bringing her hands under the water and splashing some on her face. The coldness was enough to wake her up fully, which was something she never usually did, but she didn't mind.

Waking up in her home that was the TARDIS and on her bed with her husband beside her was the only way she'd want to wake up. Not in a dank cell with a raving lunatic.

Rose reached over and grabbed a towel to dry her face then straightened up, wiping her eyes before taking in her appearance through the mirror. She bit her lip. She looked like herself. For eighteen months she never saw her reflection, but thought she was better off not having to see that sight every morning. In that time she knew how she looked just by how she felt. Horrible. But now…now she was better. More alive and more like herself. The Zero Room really did work wonders for her. She raised her eyes to the ceiling and mentally thanked the Old Girl for placing the room back.

Exiting the en suite she stayed in the doorway for a moment and smiled. The Doctor was still asleep and hadn't moved a muscle since she got up. It was unlike him to act that way, but she understood. He's been through a hell of a lot more, and probably worse, than she did in their separation and it took a lot out of him. Now he was relaxing for the first time in a really long time.

Walking over to his side of their bed Rose just stood there staring at him. Her hand gravitated towards his back as she gently trailed her fingers across his skin with feather-light touches. She then carefully moved to drape a leg across his waist and lay atop him, straddling him as she began to massage his muscles. Loose and relaxed, he was. As he should be. After a moment she lowered herself to press against his back, reclining herself. Their bodies were still buzzing from their passionate lovemaking from last night and she revelled in it, just like every other time. She nuzzled the back of his neck before moving down to place a gentle kiss to his shoulder blade. Propping herself up a little she traced the outline of the spot with her fingers, making his already cool skin prickle more.

She heard him humming and she grinned. "Why are you awake?" he said, his words muffled from the pillow.

"I could say the same for you," she countered with a chuckle, resting her head on his back to hear the pleasant _thump-thump thump-thump _of his hearts. "Ain't you supposed to be sleepin'?"

"Not when I can wake up like this." She could hear the smile in his voice.

He moved the hand he kept placed in the center of the bed down to meet hers, threading their fingers back together in the way they were when she first woke up, brushing his thumb over hers. She brought her other arm up and stretched it across his and laced the fingers of their unoccupied hands together, laying in completion.

"Can we stay like this for a little while?" he asked.

"Sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not."

They stayed that way for a few long moments in comfortable silence, just laying together as one. Body, mind, and soul. The Doctor took one last deep breath before shifting a bit as he tried to flip himself around. Rose released their joined hands and pushed herself up to help him come to lay on his back, immediately greeted with those adoring warm chocolate eyes and equally warm smile that made her melt. A sight she would cherish for the rest of her life. She lowered herself back down to lay across his chest and he brushed her hair back behind her ear, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. She grinned.

"Should I be worried if you become a 'hibernating bear' like you say to me?" she teased.

He smiled and threaded their fingers back together. "Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. There's many possibilities."

"You're never asleep for this long, you're usually awake."

"I've been awake," he told her with a sniff.

"That so?"

"Weeell, then how would I get to admire your beauty like this? None of my dreams can do justice, so why not admire the source?"

Rose snorted. "Oh, God. You're such a mush."

"And you like it."

Not even stopping herself she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips and smiled. She knew how much he missed this too, and after last night, she gave him all the reassurance in the world to remind him that she was here with him for real. Pulling back she licked her lips and giggled. The smile never left his face.

"I know you've been waiting for that once I woke up, right?" she asked, letting go of one hand up to comb through his chest hair.

He arched an eyebrow. "Hm. It may have crossed my mind once or twice. But, as you know, lots of things are buzzing around up here." He tapped a finger to his temple. "But…I've got one specific thing on my mind at the moment."

"And what's that?"

His smile turned wicked. "I think you know." Then he pulled her down to him and his lips found hers again as he flipped her over to her back, still grinning against them. But the moment didn't last as long as they intended as Rose's stomach growled loudly. "Blimey, you sure you don't have a living thing in there?"

She laughed and pushed him playfully. "'M just hungry, 's all."

The Doctor's brows hit his hairline as he smacked his forehead. "Oh! How thick am I? You haven't eaten anything in twenty-four hours!" His expression turned a bit somber. "Or…probably a bit longer than that."

She recognized that look, and knew what was coming. Rose brought a hand up to the side of his face. "Hey, don't start brooding, Doctor. Please. I told you already that everything that happened wasn't your fault, ya got that? None of it. And I'm right here now, and that's all the matters, right?" He nodded. "Good. Now, I hope you don't mind, but I think I'd fancy a stack of your famous banana pancakes."

His eyes lit up and he kissed her nose. "Anything for my special lady."

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

Jack wandered back into the corridors after spending some time in the library. Oddly enough he never thought to check out that room when he first traveled with the Doctor and Rose, but it really was the most amazing library he's ever seen. It actually resembled the one from _Beauty and the Beast._ Intentional? Most likely. Knowing that Time Lord he'd say that the movie's design came from the TARDIS itself.

That wonderful ego of his. It was one of this most admirable qualities.

He was about to make his way into the console room when a sudden smell hit his nose. Unsurprisingly it was bananas. He almost laughed out loud when he was brought back to the first time he met the Doctor during the Blitz. The man may have changed his face, but he was still the same man. And his infatuation with bananas never changed.

Arriving in the galley he stopped at the doorway when saw the Doctor wearing a blue suit—that was new—and Rose wearing her usual casual clothes—jeans and a short sleeved top—standing by the stove preparing breakfast. And by the looks of it, they were making banana pancakes. They appeared to be doing really well considering that twenty-four hours ago they were both broken until finally reuniting with each other. What amazed him the most was how much healthier Rose looked. Her frame returned to its normal shape, the only difference was that her hair was still longer than usual.

All in all, they both were healing. Though Jack could guess there was still some they would need.

"Y'know that you _could_ always make other types of pancakes, right?" Rose was saying. "Like chocolate chip or something."

"Oi, you were the one who wanted these," the Doctor told her as he flipped the pancakes in the air from their pan. "Besides, you need to get your potassium levels back up."

She smiled. "Doctor's orders, right?"

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p' and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You know…" Rose said, placing an arm on his bicep. "If I remember correctly, the last time you served me like this, I let you go without wearing a maid outfit—"

"Don't," the Doctor cut in.

"I still think you'd look nice in one," she teased.

"With all due respect, Rose, I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

Jack couldn't resist picturing that and smiling. "Oh, c'mon, Doc," he said as he walked in the galley, gaining their attention. "Can't you grant your wife another wish? Don't be a buzzkill."

Rose burst into laughter while the Doctor's eyes widened. "Ehm…" he said, tugging his ear.

"Relax, I was only joking. I'm sure you give her everything else she wants. Speaking of which…the offer's still—"

"Jack," both Rose and the Doctor warned.

The captain sighed. "Okay, sorry. Kinda got a little excited. Think it might've been the mental picture of the Doctor walking around in a dress."

The Doctor groaned. "Roooose."

She sympathetically patted him on the arm. "Sorry, love. Jack, behave."

Jack shook his head and sighed. "Oh, Rose." He smiled. "Looking better, I see."

She returned the smile. "Feelin' it, too. Ever since yesterday morning, but more so now that I'm back home."

He nodded, tapping his phone in his hand. "I can imagine."

Rose left the Doctor to fix up the pancakes and sat at the table with Jack. "Whatcha doin' with your phone out?"

"Thought about making a call," Jack said, waving his phone. "Just to some of my friends."

"Friends?" she said with a chuckle. "Who exactly were you ringing?"

"My team," he said casually.

Her brows furrowed. "Team? What team? It can't be any Time Agents, right?"

He laughed. "No, but I still have a few numbers." He paused. "You remember when I told you that I based myself at the rift in Cardiff?" She nodded. "Well…me and my friends are running an organization there."

The Doctor seemed to freeze for a moment, but Rose didn't notice.

"Yeah?" she said lightly. "I've been wondering exactly what you've been up to since the Game Station. And being told you were rebuilding the Earth seemed a bit…" she trailed off and shot a look at the Doctor, who was immersed in his task, but was still probably eavesdropping.

"Sketchy?" Jack supplied.

Rose nodded. "S'pose."

He took a deep breath. "It does involve reconstruction, though." She arched an eyebrow at him, urging him on. "It's Torchwood."

Rose stopped breathing for a moment at the mention of that place—the very one that caused her mother to be trapped in another universe far from her reach. The very one that she and the Doctor despised greatly.

"W-what?"

"It's different, though," he assured quickly. "After…Canary Wharf, I rebuilt it and changed it. It stands not as a threat anymore, but as an ally. To both you and the Doctor. I got a crew together and we do what you and him do; stop the bad guys. The organization is for the better, Rose, I swear to you."

She remained silent.

"You know how sorry I am for everything the old regime did to you and the Doctor, to your lives, and to your mother and Mickey. But I swear to you, it's _changed."_

Rose blinked a few times. She certainly did have a lot to catch up on, but she wasn't expecting something like that. "Oh," she said.

Jack chuckled, gesturing at the Doctor. "That's a better reaction than his was, I'll say that."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Jack, about that…you dropped that information on me in a…very tense time, that's all. I'm sure if you had told me sooner I may have taken it a little easier."

"Maybe," Jack said. "Though I think you'd still be a little pissed off."

Rose bit her lip. She could only imagine the Doctor's reaction to hearing the name Torchwood again. Probably freaked out big time. Of course she couldn't blame him for blowing up at the news. After all that organization caused the both of them so much grief in the past, and they always wanted nothing to do with them ever again. But Jack was their good friend, and they could always trust him no matter what. If he says that horrible place made a complete one-eighty turn around, then she believed it.

"They're all good people, yeah?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes, Rose. They can be a little mischievous, but I assure you we're all good."

She chuckled. "I can imagine with you runnin' around there, kissing them just for the hell of it."

"Hey, what d'you take me for?" He paused. "You know what, don't answer that."

The Doctor snorted from the stove before coming over with the pan, setting the pancakes on their plates. He saw Martha come in, and set out a plate for her as well.

"Ah, Martha, you're up. And just in time."

"Let me guess," she said. "Banana pancakes?"

He smiled. "Yep!"

She shook her head. "You really need to work on your variety."

The Doctor sighed. "Oh, critics." Instead of sitting himself down to eat, he decided that the three of them should catch up a little. Especially with Martha. He stood beside Rose. "Right, while you three finish up, I'll be in the console room."

"You're not eating?" she asked.

"Nah, I'll be alright. Besides, think the Old Girl's still a bit sluggish after…well, after everything, really. Just a small tune up."

She nodded. "Don't hit the wrong controls," she teased.

He growled. "I've had this ship for _centuries,_ Rose. I think I'd know how to operate Her by now."

Rose placed a finger to her chin. "You say that every time we end up in the wrong year. And planet. And galaxy."

The Doctor rolled his eyes when he bent to give her a peck on the lips, then sauntered out of the galley, leaving the three to their breakfast.

"So," Jack began. "Girl talk, then."

Martha scoffed. "Then maybe you'd leave considering it wouldn't suit you."

"Oh, it's not a problem. We can catch up."

"True. How you feeling, Rose?"

Rose nodded. "Definetly a little more like myself. 'Course the Zero Room played a big part in that."

"What about dreaming? You remember anything about being Bad Wolf?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no. The Doctor showed me images of when I-Bad Wolf came back, but that's all they are; images. Not really memories, per se…I don't think. I'm still tryin' to understand all of this."

Martha snorted. "Tell me about it."

"How 'bout you, how're you doing, Martha?"

She let out a deep breath. "Feeling better. Didn't really get much sleep since I've been thinking about my family all night and everything they went through."

Rose nodded, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I heard you were brilliant. _Very_ brilliant, in fact. Having to be so brave in walking the entire world. That's…incredible."

Martha shrugged. "Wasn't all my doing. Bad Wolf was with me for those last nine months, and she helped me."

"But still, she was a ghost. _I_ was a ghost…apparently. Martha, you were saving the world long before Bad Wolf showed up. Remember that."

Martha smiled. "Thanks. I, uh…it's time," she said.

Rose's brows furrowed. "What d'you mean?"

"Time I went back home," she said softly. "I mean, traveling with you and the Doctor, it's been great, it really has. It's just…my family needs me."

Rose pressed her lips together and nodded. "'S alright, I understand. In times like this it's important to be close to the ones you love."

"Yeah. But I can still call you guys once in a while."

"That's cool. And you'd finally be able to take your exams," Rose added with a smile.

Martha chuckled. "Definitely!"

"And Jack…what will you do now?"

The captain sighed. "Head back over to the team. It's been a while since I've seen them, and I'll bet they're runnin' around like headless chickens without me around."

Rose snorted but spoke seriously. "You really love them."

He nodded. "I do. Every one of them—each for their own reasons, but all the same. For once I've got responsibilities. I just met them not too long ago. They…really don't know much about me, and vice versa. But I know I can trust them, much like you all should."

Rose reached over and held Jack's wrist. "We do. It's good to know that bloody Torchwood's in good hands now."

"Thanks, Rosie," he said with a smile. They all began to clean up after themselves when Jack lifted his backpack from underneath the table. "I know it's a little late," he said to Rose. "But I got you a little something-something for you and the Doctor."

Rose arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? Nothin'…suggestive is it?"

"No," he said with an eye roll before smirking. "But I suppose it can play a role in those acts—especially leading into it." He reached into his bag and winked. "Consider it a wedding present."

Rose watched as he pulled out a bottle securely wrapped in paper and handed it to her. She took of the barrier, revealing a clear liquid. She saw the label and nearly laughed out loud: a picture of Jack smiling and winking with a drink in one hand and his other giving the thumbs up. Beneath that read the name of the drink. _Hypervodka._

"You got us hypervodka?" she said with a chuckle.

Jack nodded. "Best drink in the whole universe, straight from the 52nd century. But this batch I whipped up myself."

"Yeah?"

"Learned the recipe and everything. May have added a little extra…spice, but it's all good, I can't tell you that much. And, this is just a small fact, but…it spices up certain activities," he added with a wicked grin.

"Jack," she warned.

"Okay sorry," he said. "Besides, I know for a fact you won't be needing that for any spice considering you have no problems whatsoever in _that_ department."

Martha snorted. "Please, bad enough I faintly heard them back when we had to share that tiny flat in 1969."

Rose blushed while Jack grinned unabashedly. "Ooh, I wish I was there," he said. "She told me he was brilliant, so I could only imagine the details."

"Well, I was still asleep for the most part, but they _did_ try to be discreet for their 'wedding night'."

Jack nudged Rose's shoulder. "Guess my gift was pointless after all."

Still blushing Rose smiled as she gave her friend a hug. "Thanks, Jack. 'S lovely."

"Anytime, Rosie."

Making their way into the console room they found the Doctor's gravity defying hair sticking out from underneath the gratings. "That doesn't look like a tune up to me," Rose commented.

He popped his head all the way up and spun around, the sonic held in his mouth. "Uh," he said before stepping out from the hole, removing his device to speak clearly. "Had to fix up the dyromorhic configurator. Was a bit burnt out. All better now. So! Back to the way things were. Well, somewhat. Where to?"

"Cardiff," Jack said.

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. "You sure?" Jack nodded. "Okay then, off we go."

"Before we go," Rose spoke up just as his hand hit the lever. "Can we do something…celebratory?"

A curious look crossed his face. "What'd you have in mind?"

She leaned up to whisper in his ear, making him smile.

"Oh, brilliant!"

Running around the console he gently bumped Jack and Martha out of the way as he flipped a switch. The speakers in the TARDIS began to static until music played. The others laughed when _"Time Warp"_ came on, each of them immediately jumping in with the rhythm. It was always more amusing when there were more people around, especially with this song, and they each moved with ease, acting like complete goofballs. And they had every right to be since the world was back in order.

The four gleefully moved around the console to the song, following every instructional step with a bit of a freestyle mix. At one point the Doctor hauled Rose up in her arms, spinning her around and raising her above his head, still giggling like loons. Once that song ended Jack made a suggestion and set up _"Moonlight Serenade"_ to be played.

Rose laughed as they each switched partners with her being with Jack. "This was our song," she told him as they slowly moved, remembering the Blitz.

"What a night that was," the captain said. "You know, I heard this a bunch of times in the past, during both World Wars."

"I'm so sorry," she said with a frown.

"Hey, it's not your fault, Rose. I told you it's fine. It is what it is. But I will say this much…that song helped me through those tough times. Made me more determined to find you two one day."

She smiled at him and gave him a hug. Even though Jack said he was fine about the whole immortal thing and not being able to die permanently, she might never stop apologizing for it. He never asked for that kind of life and she thrust it upon him. Well, Bad Wolf did, but it was still her. Brushing that off for the moment she and Jack swayed to the music.

On the other side the Doctor was with Martha, who smiled at him as they moved. "I'm a little surprised," she said. "Usually you're always glued to Rose, and you're letting her dance with another man."

"As long as she's not _dancing_ with him, then I'm fine," he said with a chuckle.

"You've always been possessive of her, even in your last body."

"Of course I was. Rarely let Jack around her, honestly."

"You've really changed," she said with a smile.

The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked as a response. Once the song was coming to an end he looked over to the side and saw Jack dip Rose over and give her a kiss. He inwardly scoffed as he let go of Martha to stroll over to the others. Taking Rose's hand in his he twirled her around and dipped her as well, planting an even better kiss to her lips, definitely a more passionate one that made her giggle.

Jack sighed. "So possessive."

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Once the four finished their dancing in the console room, the Doctor set the coordinates back to Cardiff. They each stood at the railings at Roald Dahl Plass, observing the pedestrians strolling by.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name," Martha said to the Doctor. "Now they've all forgotten you."

"Good," he replied.

"Couldn't imagine you bein' able to blend in anymore if they did," Rose joked.

He snorted. "That's the last thing I need."

"Yeah, Clive would have a field day scouting you out."

"And as you can see he's been unsuccessful since then," the Doctor commented with a smirk. "So I blend in very well with my surroundings, thank you very much."

Rose hummed. "Sure you do…"

He shot her a look and nudged her shoulder. "You're not always so discreet either, missy."

She swatted his arm. "Don't you say that I've been an influence on you for that. That's all _you."_

The Doctor smirked before kissing the top of her head.

Jack studied them. "Why can't I ever get any of that action?"

"Because you're not blonde," Martha joked.

"Oi!" Rose cried.

Jack chuckled before sighing. "Back to work," he said as he ducked underneath the railing.

"You don't have to," Rose told him. "You can still come with us if you want."

"I really don't mind," the Doctor added.

Jack shrugged. "Thanks for the offer, really. But I had plenty of time to think that past year - the Year That Never Was. And I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like I told Rose - I've got responsibilities now."

The Doctor smirked. "Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that."

He reached out to shake Jack's hand, but rolled up the man's sleeve to expose the vortex manipulator and took out the sonic.

"Hey, I need that!" the captain cried as the Doctor worked on it with the sonic.

"I can't have you walking around with a time travelling teleport," he told him. "You could go anywhere…twice. The second time to apologize." Rose snorted.

"And what about me? Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do," the Doctor said. "You're an impossible thing, Jack."

Jack chuckled. "Been called that before."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Rose told him.

"Hey, stop apologizing for that," Jack told her as he cupped her face. "What you did isn't anything to feel bad about. You loved me enough to bring me back to life. You didn't want me to die, Rose. There's nothing wrong with that. I could never be mad at you. It is what it is, and I'm perfectly fine with that."

Rose have him a tight smile. As much as she regretted throwing such a power onto Jack against his will when she wasn't herself, his assurance was enough to make her better. Jack was a dear friend, and if he said he was fine with what he was granted with, then she'd accept it.

He pulled away to give salutes to them. "Sir," he said with a nod. "Ma'ams." The three of them returned the salutes, a little more simply as Jack turned to leave. He suddenly came to a stop a few steps away and turned back to them. "But I keep wondering," he said. "What about aging? 'Cause I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

"I really don't know," the Doctor said with a head shake, a faint smile on his face.

Jack nodded with a smile of his own. "Okay, vanity. Sorry."

"And I thought this one was vain," Rose commented, patting the Doctor's arm, earning an eye roll from him.

The captain chuckled. "Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid back on the Boeshane Pennisula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. 'The Face of Boe' they called me." The other three widened their eyes. "Hmm…I'll see you."

With that, Jack sprinted away across the plaza, leaving the others staring in shock. "Oh, my God," Rose breathed out.

"It can't be," Martha said.

"No, definitely not," the Doctor denied, dumbstruck. "No, no."

Martha began to laugh and both he and Rose joined her. Then she recalled what the Face of Boe told her back on New New York after he told her to promise she would never give the Doctor: _"Thank you, my dear. You're a very good girl, and he is truly grateful to have you. Because know this, Rose Tyler: you are worth fighting for."_

She couldn't help but smile even more knowing exactly what Jack would become. He was worried about a few grey hairs, but he didn't know he'd end up being a large face. But he was beautiful all the same. Then something else had occurred to her.

"Hold on," Rose said, nudging the Doctor's ribs. "Doctor, remember we went to that 'End of the World' party when we first met?"

"Of course I do," he said with a smile. "Our very first trip."

"Who put the whole thing together?"

The Doctor's brows hit his hairline as a response.

Rose couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Jack was the one who set up our first date!"

"What?" Martha said, surprised and smiling.

"Oh, that's just…" he trailed off with laughter as well, wrapping an arm around Rose's shoulders. "I told you he was enigmatic!"

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Returning to the TARDIS Martha requested that she visit her family. The Doctor nodded and did just that. After hearing the way her mother had been through the phone she knew how her mother would react the moment she would step through their doors.

The TARDIS parked outside of her house, right in the garden. Martha didn't waste any time as she headed for the entrance and made her way inside.

"Mum!" she called.

In came her mother, looking a bit shocked and relieved to see her daughter safe. "Oh, my God," she ran over and immediately pulled her into a hug. "Where were you?"

"Made a quick stop to pick up a package," Martha responded with a smile. "How's everyone? They alright?"

"Even better with you being here," her mother said, pulling back. "Is everything okay with you, sweetheart?"

She nodded. "The Doctor and Rose are doing good now. They've got a lot to deal with, but they're managing. Much like all of us are going to."

From behind Martha's brother and sister came in and immediately started questioning her. Francine watched with a watery smile as her family was back together, safe and sound. After all this time everything was back to the way it should be…with a few major traumatizing events haunting their minds. And through it all her daughter had been out there, roaming the world and was saving it. Hectic as the whole situation had become she couldn't be more proud of her.

Turning away from the touching reunion Francine caught sight of a blue box suddenly parked in her garden. She walked up to the window and moved the curtains aside. There stood the Doctor, still looking younger and wearing a different suit, with his wife Rose by his side, looking healthy. The vision of that same woman surrounded by a golden light came back to her. She had no idea of what any of that was, but it worked and destroyed the monster that ravaged the world.

Francine watched the Doctor wrap an arm around Rose's waist as they both gave her tight, half smiles from where they stood. While she knew those two were dangerous from the very first time she saw them, she couldn't help but thank them for making sure Martha was safe. She may not agree with any of those decisions and plans, but the end was all she cared about.

So for that she offered the couple a tight smile before they returned to their box, and she to her family at the sound of her son's voice. This was a celebration.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

It had to have been about an hour spent with her family, but Martha wanted to spend as much time with them as possible before she made her leave. She had already told Rose about it and, while she seemed a bit sad by her decision to leave, she understood her reasoning. The Doctor, she hoped, would have a similar reaction.

Reaching into her pocket Martha held her phone and looked through her contacts. She still had both of their numbers, so should she ever need them for something important she could always ring them up. Then something had occurred to her. Dialing a number she raised the phone to her ear.

"Yeah, could you put me through?" she said to the receptionist who answered. "Hi, I'm looking for a Dr. Thomas Milligan."

**_"Yeah? Hello?"_ **The man's voice came to her ear and she smiled. Nice to know that man was alive. Maybe she could see that man again. Or…rather he would meet her for the first time considering their first encounter was erased.**_ "Hello?"_**

Still smiling, Martha snapped her phone shut and entered the TARDIS. Both the Doctor and Rose were seated on the jump seat, the former with his legs propped up on the console as the time rotor blocked their vision. Once she made her way up the ramp did she get their attention.

"Right then!" the Doctor shouted as he peeked around the time rotor before jumping to his feet, moving around the console.

Unlike him Rose remained on the jump seat for another moment before rising slowly, offering Martha a tight smile.

"Off we go!" the Doctor continued. "The open road! There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or…back in time. We could…I don't know, Charles II? Henry VIII? I know! What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie! I bet she's brilliant!"

"Doctor," Rose said softly as she came to stand beside him.

His enthusiasm stopped when he glanced over at Martha. She gave him a sad smile. "Okay," he said.

"I…just can't," she told him.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"It's just…I spent all these years training to be a doctor," Martha said. "Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

"We understand, Martha," Rose told her kindly. "Really, they need you in these tough times." She walked over and gave her a tight hug. "We'll miss you."

Martha smiled sadly. "I'm gonna miss you guys, too."

She let go of Rose and turned to the Doctor, who smiled at her. "Thank you," he told her as he gave her a hug of his own. After another moment he pulled back and took a deep breath. "Martha Jones, you saved the world."

Martha smiled. "Yes, I did. You know what? I spent a lot of time with you two, thinking that I was second best, and you know what I realized? I _am_ good."

They both grinned. "You're more than that, you're brilliant," Rose said. "He always takes the best, you know."

"Definitely," the Doctor agreed.

She studied the both of them, noticing how they were masking faint dejection at her decision. As much as she would want nothing more than to continue travelling the stars with her two best friends, she had responsibilities to attend to as well. She had a career to look forward to along with help her family heal from the traumatic events from the Year That Never Was. Much like the Doctor and Rose did. They may have looked perfectly fine, appearing as their normal selves, but their wounds weren't sealed all the way.

"You two gonna be alright?" Martha asked them.

"Yeah," Rose said, looking up at the Doctor as he slung an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, we will."

"Always," the Doctor said with a nod.

Martha smiled warmly at them, seeing how far they've come—how she's come. When she first met these two strangers who turned out to be an alien and his mostly human girlfriend who seemed to be so much more than that. Now they were her dearest friends who were married and showed her the world, the real one and thousands of others out there. They needed each other more than anything right now. And she'll give them that space to fix their lives while she does the same.

"Right, then," she said, taking a deep breath as she pulled out her phone and gave it to the Doctor. "Keep that. 'Cause I'm not having you two disappear. If that rings - _when_ that rings, you better come running. Got it?"

They both grinned. "Got it," they said in unison.

"Until next time, Martha Jones," the Doctor added.

"I'll see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," she said with a smile. "Or should I say…Mr. and Mrs. 'Tyler'?"

And with one last smile Martha turned away from her friends and their amazing life and walked out of the TARDIS and into the world, ready to fix her own life.

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

Rose watched as the doors shut and her friend left, ready to show the world just what Martha Jones had to give. To show her brilliance and help others.

"So," she spoke up. "Who will be the next to go?" she said in a dramatic voice.

The Doctor chuckled. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about leaving _now,"_ he joked.

She placed a hand to her chin, giving a thoughtful expression. "I guess I'll stick around a little longer."

He hummed as he turned her around to face him, his hands rested on her hips. "I should hope so, 'cause it's too late for you to turn back now. Thought you knew that when you agreed to marry me."

She smiled and slid a finger down his chest. "I knew very well what I was getting into." She placed both of her palms over his hearts. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Me too," he said with a low voice before dipping his head down to kiss her soundly.

Of course they would be alright. As long as they had each other, nothing was going to tear them apart. There were still storms coming in the future, there was no denying that. With every perfect clear sky came a raging whirlwind to wreak havoc on their lives. But that was the expectant when it came to them. The universe do its worst and throw their greatest threat at them, but they'll breeze right by it with their heads held high and their hands held together and run. There was a lot to endure now with the newfound pain that came over them, but they were getting better, and they'd continue to heal.

Because they would always be alright.

Breaking their kiss breathlessly, they stood with their foreheads pressed together, each staring into each other's eyes and sending mutual love through their bond. It seemed as of they had stayed that way for a while until the Doctor pulled back to grab the lever to send them into the vortex.

"What d'you reckon?" he asked. "Backwards or forwards?"

"Wherever you want," Rose answered with a smile that mirrored on his face.

With that he pulled the lever…

…and then they were thrown into the jump seat when the TARDIS violently jerked, spinning them around, a siren blaring throughout the room. Rose started feeling all sorts of dizziness as the Doctor held her to keep her from falling to the floor.

He scrambled to his feet and quickly flipped a switch on the console.

"Stop it!" he shouted over the siren. A second later the TARDIS settled, smoke trickling out from the time rotor. He shook his head before turning back to Rose. "You okay?"

Rose nodded with her eyes still closed, feeling a little…off. "Yeah, just gimme a minute for my head to slow down. What happened?"

The Doctor stared at the console. "I dunno. What was all that about, eh? Eh?" He placed a hand on the rotor then checked the controls, working his way around the console. "What's your problem?"

Opening her eyes Rose froze when she saw another man coming around the console in the opposite direction. A familiar one at that.

"Right, just settle down now," the other man said, wearing the cream colored cricket outfit and stick of celery on his lapel. The Doctor's _fifth_ self.

What the hell?

The two men bumped into each other. "Excuse me," her Doctor muttered.

"So sorry," the other Doctor said.

Rose only watched as the two barely looked at each other. "What?" she said.

Both Doctors looked up at the sound of her voice before finally noticing each other with full attention. "What?" her Doctor asked, staring at him.

"What?" the other Doctor demanded.

They moved closer to get a better look. Her Doctor's eyes widened. "What?"

**End…for now.**

**To be continued in _Of Cruises and Christmas.__ (Time Crash/VotD rewrite)_**

* * *

**That'll be the Time Crash/Voyage of the Damned rewrite.**** I think it would be more appropriate to separate that from the series 4 rewrite since…well, you'll see soon enough. Be sure to have me in your alerts so you'll see it ;)**

**Whew, my brain's fried. Thank you, thank you, thank you lovely viewers! You're all the best motivation for me ;D ****I've already started doing OCAC and will start posting the first chapter in a matter of days, so be sure to check it out. ****Hope you enjoyed this wild ride! **

**Leave a review and take some cookies on the way out for all of your support. Have any questions? Don't hesitate to ask. Send me a PM, I don't bite lol ****See ya! xD**


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